A Resonance Between Worlds
by Mailnuk32
Summary: Grimm, the darkness that brought humanity to its knees. The scars they left on the world have finally begun to heal, however the appearence of a mysterious young girl threatens to tear open old wounds and pave the way for a new wave of Darkness. Can Remnant withstand this new threat while dealing with their own darkness?
1. The First Ripple Pt1

**Hey! So for any new readers enjoy and please drop a review! For anyone that came here from Levithan's Berry, the new chapter will be soon (hopefully). I was going through a bit of writers block, so I decided to throw this together to give you guys something to read while I work on my main story. It is not on Hiatus.**

 **This story will mostly be me trying out new things (being more descriptive, using different perpectives) so please tell me what you think!**

 **This takes place at just before the Burst storyline in Ressurection, so I believe that is the end of God Eater...? If you are not familiar with that world don't worry, I will try to make this story as easy to follow as possible.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

First there was nothing, and then the Gods made light. From this light, humans made fire. That fire sparked an everlasting race for superiority that led to brawls, skirmishes, civil wars and world wars. As the years went on, the humans abused the natural resources that their beautiful earth had so generously gifted them, this created an unbalance between humankind and nature.

As if Mother Nature were punishing a child, a brutal plague befell mankind. A plague known as the Grimm. The Grimm pushed the selfish humans to the brink of extinction, they wiped out their cities, killed most of their population, and even forced the bitterest of enemies to cower together. When it seemed like all was lost, when the remains of humanity crumbled and cowered before this seemingly unstoppable foe, they saw the truth.

One by one, they armed themselves with weapons like swords, spears and scythes and gave them a modern twist. Most weapons doubled as a gun, while some created explosions on impact. That doesn't matter though, what does matter is that the remains of humanity defended themselves, and took on the title of hunters. These 'hunters' pushed back against the wave of despair known as the Grimm. They established schools, training facilities and a new way to survive before they began rebuilding their civilization with the ideal of slaughtering the remaining forces of Grimm and taking back their planet.

Despite their best efforts, they could only get so far without their natural earthen resources. It was at this time that the humans discovered dust and began to integrate it into their society. For a time, things seemed to be taking a turn for the better. They developed new styles of living, new ways to adapt and new myths, one fairly popular one is known as the Four Maidens, and it spoke of four beautiful women who fought against the darkness without Dust, using Magic. Apparently they resurfaced every few generations or something… personally, I don't care.

The humans found something to cling to in order to survive, so good for them… uh… ahem. Sorry, I got a bit sidetracked there. With the hunters and huntresses, those in training and even the 'maidens' alongside the remains of a global and country based military, the humans finally stood a chance at survival. This new feeling of hope led them to rename the their world remnant for some odd reason, some old guy probably thought he was being clever... Anyways, what I'm saying is that life slowly returned to normal.

The schools dedicated to training hunters and huntresses began making names for themselves, the most prominent one was Beacon Academy, whose motto was " **A light in the everlasting darkness** ". They accepted humans and Faunus alike, showing little-to no discrimination towards the Faunus race. It was this that attracted the most attention, since most Faunus, who were all animal people, were attributed to being in cahoots with the vicious terrorist organization known as the white fang. Honestly, humans can be really exhausting sometimes. My personal thoughts aside, the humans of this planet are really pathetic.

The Grimm are but a small pebble compared to some of the beings I've seen humans tackle. Why am I telling you all this you ask? Well, even though you can't understand me, it's because it was _**you Grimm**_ that destroyed the moon with your arrival. You destroyed my _**home**_. Well, not my home per se, but my home is on a moon, just not that one. Argh! You keep distracting me, stop it!

Anyways, I'm telling you this, because I am going to kill all of you. Scared? You should be. You see, while your humans call you the apex predators, my **humans** call us the apex predators. Know why?

Giving me the silent treatment hey? That's fine, I was gonna tell you anyways. Unlike you Grimm, who are just materializations of despair and hate, and negative emotion basically… my kind is the amalgamation of human innovation and divine will. I am an _Aragami_ , a **God**. Not some pathetic little creature whose trying to climb to heights where they don't belong. Do you understa- hmm? Well, our time is up puppy, I've gotta go. Die in peace.

Dropping the mangled body of the Beowulf, the young girl skipped deeper into the emerald forest, leaving behind the clearing full of ash and Grimm corpses that were soon to dissolve.

"Hmmm… maybe I was a little harsh? I tried acting like some of the girls I saw on Kota's T.V show, but it felt wrong.. well whatever. All I know is that I'm hungry hehehe~" giggling to herself the small girl disappeared into the dense brush of the emerald forest, leaving the two approaching hunters to themselves.

 **-  
 _A Resonance Between Worlds  
_ -**

"Again? This makes it the fifth time this month… I know I should be happy that the Grimm are dropping like flies, but I'm too worried about what the hell is doing it, to feel joy."

"Ahh, just relax Qrow, it's not like you to be so uptight and cautious. Are you sober?"

The man known as Qrow shot a glare at his roundish partner, before pulling his weapon off his back as he mumbled to himself. "You think my _friends_ would be proud of me if I was sober…"

"But you're too boring when you're sober…"

"Like you have a right to talk about being boring Pete. Mind telling me how many of your students fall asleep and end up failing because of your endless rambling."

"At least I have students." The portly man known as Peter muttered as he too pulled out his weapon, dropping into a defensive stance before motioning for Qrow to start the second half of their task. "Listen Qrow, we aren't here to argue. The big test is in two days and we need to clear out most of the high-class Grimm in this forest unless we want Ozpin to sic Goodwitch on us again."

Both men shuddered before nodding. "Let's try to stop that from happening this time… Anyways we shoul- What the hell?" Qrow's eyes shot open as he saw what appeared to be a full grown Beowulf clinging to life in front of a large tree. It's bottom half was nowhere to be seen, however it showed no signs of dissolving any time soon. "Why isn't it a pile of ash by now…?" Gripping the handle of his sword, the hunter walked up to the whimpering Grimm and cautiously knelt down in front of it. "It's doesn't even notice me. There is something seriously wrong here."

"What's that underneath it? Is it… blood? Since when did Grimm bleed?" Peter asked as he walked up behind Qrow turning his back to him to keep an eye out for any approaching Grimm.

"It's not blood from the Grimm. It can't be." Standing up, Qrow grabbed the thin silver pad sitting in a holder on his hip and pulled out his scroll. "Pete, get this Grimm out of here. We need to finish our mission, but if we let something like this die Ozpin will have our heads." The Portly man behind him nodded and grabbed the back of the Beowulfs head before slowly dragging the mutilated Grimm out of the clearing. Taking a deep breath, Qrow braced himself and dialed the number for the school's administrator, Ozpin.

" _Qrow? What is it, you never call me when you're free, let alone on a mission._ "

"Oz, just shut up for a sec. I need you to send a recovery team down to section H-16 of the Emerald Forest immediately."

" _Why? Did you find a wounded hunter? A student?_ " The worry was evident in the director's voice. He was concerned, not like that was new for the man.

"No, I found a Grimm, one that was cleaved in two but it wasn't dissolving…" Qrow waited for a response that never came before continuing "There was also a puddle of blood underneath the Grimm, Peter and I are convinced it's from whatever has been killing the Grimm lately."

" _And you want the recovery team to extract the Grimm…? Fine. However you are to change your M.O understood? Locating this rogue hunter or huntress takes precedence over the entrance tests. Find them before tomorrow evening if you can, tell Peter that I will have Glynda cover his class in the meantime_."

"No problem Oz." Qrow quickly thanked Ozpin before disconnecting from the call "Oi! Pete, we have new orders from Oz!"

"Pete!" Turning around, Qrow frowned at the lack of a response. Pocketing his scroll, the man swung his sword around in his palm before following the path that his partner had taken, keeping on top of the footprints. As he pushed some low-hanging branches out of his way, Qrow saw Peter standing completely still, staring at the ground. "For god's sake, answer me!"

"Shh!" Peter shushed his partner before silently waving him over. Frowning, Qrow wandered over and almost dropped his sword. "Be quiet. I've never seen a Grimm do something like this. I don't want to disturb it."

"This is disgusting Pete, just kill the thing already consequences be damned!" Qrow snapped, keeping his voice relatively low.

The sickening crunch of bones being crushed filled the air, each crack making the veteran hunter wince. On the ground in front of him lay the upper body of the Beowulf that was whimpering mere moments ago, however instead of whimpering, it was tearing the flesh off its remaining limbs and biting down on its bones like it was a dog with a toy.

"A cannibalistic Beowulf. Maybe this is what's been killing the Grimm on this forest?" Peter grumbled as he too struggled to watch the creature eat itself. "It would explain a lot."

"While that may be true, don't forget about this one's condition. It's been cut in half and is still perfectly fine… well, fine is used loosely right now." Qrow glanced at the Grimm before shaking his head and bringing his sword up above his head. "I'm ending this _things_ misery. It may be a Grimm, but I can't watch this while sober." Air whistled around the silver blade as Qrow drove his sword down at the Grimm. When the tip touched the back of the Beowulf it let out a cry before digging its paws into the grassy turf and flinging itself forward.

"!" Peter leaped back in surprise before quickly drawing his weapon.

"The hell? That's just creepy." Qrow muttered as he took off after the retreating form of the Half-Grimm. Hitting a small trigger on the handle of his sword, he stuck it out to the side as it transformed and turned into a large grayish scythe. "C'mere doggy!" Kicking off the ground and into the air, Qrow spun around and swiped down. He watched the Grimm lift itself up so it was holding itself in a upright position. Qrows swipe barely missed, tearing a long but shallow line down the back of the Grimm that was now running away. "This is getting less creepy and more… IRRITATING!"

Letting out a cry of frustration, Qrow landed in a crouching position before taking off after the Grimm, quickly gaining on it. "Don't mess with me you mutt!" Narrowing his eyes, he dropped to the ground and slid under the Grimm, in between its arms. Holding his scythe straight out, he felt the resistance when it met the exposed bone of the Grimm as pulled towards his stomach with all his might, cleaving through the bone, severing the arm the elbow before spinning the scythe so the tip was hooked in the ground. "You're not getting away!" As Qrow came to a stop, he flung himself toward the one armed Beowulf and grabbed it by the throat taking it down.

Without a second's hesitation, he transformed his scythe back into a sword and plunged it into what was left of the Grimms abdomen, pinning it to the ground.

" **G-GRAAAHH!** " The Grimm cried out and thrashed about in place before falling limp on the spot.

Pushing himself up off the ground, Qrow dusted off his knees "Much better." Looking around, Qrow saw Peter jogging up to him.

"The team is here Qrow! Where is the Grimm… oh." Glancing at the still Grimm, Peter sighed before chuckling softly. "Found it."

Groaning, Qrow let go of his weapon and let his body fall backwards hitting the grassy terrain with a soft thud. "I'll be seeing that in my nightmares from now on…" Shaking his head, he grinned as the meaty but calloused hand of his friend filled his vision. Reaching up, he grabbed ahold of Peter's hand and pulled himself up.

"Professor Port! Erm… Mister Qrow! We have come to pick up the specimen!" A young man in a black suit yelled, his sword hanging loosely by his side. As if those words were a signal, four more men, dressed the same came out from behind him and carefully removed Qrows sword before lifting up the half-dead Grimm and walking out of sight. "Have a good day Sirs!" The man bowed before turning on his heel and disappearing into the forest.

"What a fine young man!" Peter exclaimed before turning to look at Qrow "You were saying something about new Orders earlier Qrow? Mind sharing now that we are alone?"

"Yeah, we've gotta find whatever is killing the Grimm by tomorrow. Glynda will be covering your class until then." Qrow stared out into the forest as he spoke. "Let's get a move on, I don't want to be trapped in this forest after nightfall."

"Agreed, by the way, why did you use your scythe? You never use it unless you're serious."

"I wasn't in the mood for a drawn out chase, besides my scythe has more range."

"I see." Peter nodded slowly ' _so basically you're lazy!_ ' Peter snapped in his mind

With that, the two men left the clearing behind and began wandering through the Emerald Forest. Qrow had retrieved his discarded sword and motioned for Peter to stay close behind. The deeper the went the more corpses they found. "Dammit! Whoever this is always stays three steps ahead of us!" The thinner of the two men yelled as he kicked a pile of ash into the air, scattering it around them. "I wish I had my flask…"

"Qrow! You're a genius!"

"Huh…?" Spinning around, Qrow saw Peter pointing at the very faint outlines of footprints that were hidden under the pile, leading towards a old shelter just a few miles east of their position. "Even if it just gives us a general direction, that shelter is very well fortified and can make a damn near impregnable base for a skilled hunter like this! We should hurry and check before they leave."

"Hunt _ress_ , Pete. These aren't male footprints, hell they aren't even an adults footprint." Qrow muttered as he walked over to Peter and stared down at the fotoprints. "They belong to a child. One fierce enough to single-handedly slaughter Grimm."

"Impossib-!"

"I know it's impossible Pete, that's why we're going after it. I had this feeling ever since we saw the first corpse a few weeks ago, and this just helped me prove it." Narrowing his eyes, Qrow gripped his sword and glared into the looming darkness of the forest. "Listen Pete, We need to get something clear before we go any further."

Eyeing his partner carefully, Peter glanced into the darkness himself before responding, "What is it."

"We might die, or at least come damn close to it."

"I stare death in the face everytime I pick up my weapon. I'm not afraid, and I know you aren't so let's get this done. Okay Qrow?" His partner nodded before slowly walking in the direction of the footprints.

As the two hunters walked through the vivid colours of the forest, neither of them could shake the feeling of being watched. Both hunters picked up the pace following their guts. "The last time I felt like this…" Peter muttered as he shifted his grip on the handle of his axe nervously.

"Was right before I was attacked." Qrow finished the other man's sentence, both of them having experienced the same feeling of dread that anyone feels while confronting a Grimm.

As if on cue, a loud roar filled the air before trees began toppling to their left. "I've never heard a Grimm roar like that before…" Stopping in his tracks, Peter turned to look at the falling trees. It wasn't long before he noticed a pattern. "It's fighting something Qrow!"

"Our objective may be over there, stop gawking and hurry up Pete!" Qrow yelled as he readied himself to trigger the transformation of his blade into a scythe and took off running in the direction of the fight.

Shaking his head, Peter took a deep breath and ran after the scythe-wielder, brandishing his own battle axe. As the two veteran huntsman approached the source of the noise, they could hear what sounded like laughing.

"Ha ha! You're strong Mister Grimm!"

" **URAGGGHHH!** " A large Ursa Major stumbled backwards after being kicked in the chest, letting out a loud cry of pain.

"Come on… I'm hungry, but you won't die."

From the edge of the forest, both Qrow and Peter watched a small girl with pale white skin, and snow white hair seemingly dance around an enraged Ursa Major. "I-Impossible! She doesn't even have a weapon!"

"I can see that Pete… Just relax. If she kills the Major, then we will show ourselves, if it goes the other way and she dies, then we will kill the Major and return to Beacon." Qrow whispered as the young girl giggled while evading a swipe from the Ursa, the long claws missing her entirely, not even connecting with her long white dress.

"But…" Whatever Peter was about to say was cut short by a angry glare from Qrow. "Fine. We'll watch."

 **-  
 _A Resonance Between Worlds  
_ -**

" **GRAHH!** " The Ursa Major roared in irritation as it missed its prey once again. As its claws connected with the moist ground, the young girl leaped onto the top of its paw and ran up the length of its arm before grabbing the back of its head and leaping up into the air.

"Time to flyyy~" Smiling cheerfully, the girl pulled the Grimm off its feet before letting go. As she hurtled towards the ground, she watched the Ursa Major fly up passed her. Before it got too high, she kicked out and hit it in the abdomen with both feet sending the large Grimm into a spiral before she hit the ground with a thud.

"Owww… that hurts." She cooed while rubbing her lower back. Small tears formed in the corners of her eyes and it seemed like she was about to cry before a loud crash, followed by a pained cry filled the air.

" **RAAGHH!** " The Ursa Major had fallen onto a tree that splintered and pierced its left shoulder and lower abdomen.

Hopping to her feet, any traces of tears were gone and she began skipping towards the downed Grimm while humming to herself. "Hmm Hmm~" Her expression could only be described as one of pure happiness, despite facing what even the most experienced of hunters feared fighting.

"She's going to get hurt…" Peter mumbled to himself as he watched the young girl approach the furious, injured Grimm.

"Pete… She's not normal. Leave her." Qrow growled out as he saw the concern in his partner's eyes. His words fell on deaf ears as Peter took off towards the girl. "PETER!" Qrow roared as he chased after his friend.

' _Just because she isn't normal doesn't mean she deserves to die… Damn! I won't make it in time, I'm too slow. I need to get her attention and warn her!_ ' Squeezing his eyes shut, Peter mentally prepared himself before he called out to the unknown girl. "Dont! Get away from it!" As soon as he opened his mouth, the girl stopped humming and turned to look at him with wide eyes. ' _Yes!_ ' Cheering in his mind, Peter swung his axe around as he closed in on the stunned girl. "RUN!"

"R-un?" The girl tilted her head before a dark shadow fell over her. She began to turn around only to be swatted away mid-turn by the enraged Ursa Major. "Kyaaaa!" She let out a loud cry as her body was violently flung into a nearby tree where a loud snap sounded out on impact.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Peter stared at the crumpled up body of the girl before going into a fit of rage. Gripping the handle of his axe until the metal groaned, he glared up at the Ursa Major before running towards it at full speed. "RAAAAGH!"

Sensing danger, the Grimm turned its attention to the huntsman currently charging at it with his weapon drawn. " **Grr… GRAAH!** " Returning the battle cry, the Grimm met the huntsman head on and swiped down at him with its one good arm. Peter leaped back to safety before rushing in again.

Catching the Grimm in a time of recovery, Peter leaped up in the air and swung his battle axe above his head before bringing it down on the shoulder of the Grimm, easily tearing through the flesh and fur. As he started his decline, he put all his weight on his weapon and tore through the entirety of the Ursa Majors' right side rendering its swipes basically useless on both sides.

Rolling away from the Grimm, Peter skillfully swung the battle axe around in his hand until the bottom was facing the Ursa Major. ' _My weapon might not transform like everybody else's does, but it still packs one helluva punch!_ ' Rushing forward, he jumped up in the air once more and aimed the bottom of the axe at the Grimm "My Battle Axe doubles as a blunderbuss, It saves me the time of transforming!" Pulling the trigger underneath one of the silver blades of the axe, a loud click sounded out followed by an even louder **bang**!

The Ursa Major stopped moving and fell backwards, blowing up into a pile of ash before it even hit the ground. The shot had taken the Grimms' head clear off its shoulders, killing it instantly. "Qrow! How's the kid?!"

"Out cold it looks like. That's not the important thing here though!" Qrow snapped as he stormed over to the shorter man, walking through the pile of dust that was once the Ursa Major. "You threw your life away from someon- some _thing_ that could've killed you. Are you insane?!"

"Slightly, but that doesn't change the fact that she is a _child_. Sure, she might have been toying with a Grimm that was ten times her size, but you saw her the same way I did. Nothing she exhibited showed any kind of vicious nature. She was acting almost like it was a game." Peter flipped his weapon around in his hand before letting out a heavy sigh "Though, I may have been a bit quick to save her. She wouldn't have gotten hurt if I hadn't have called out to her."

"Whatever. What happened, happened. For now, we need to get the girl back to Beacon so we can get some much needed answers." Directing his attention to where the young girl lay, Qrow couldn't mask his surprise when he watched the girl get up and pat off her dress.

"Uwaaa~ That kinda tickled."

"She's…"

"Fine?"

Both Qrow and Peter gaped at the seeming unharmed girl before she looked up, and back. Her eyes scanned over their surroundings before settling on the pile of ash that was the Ursa Major. The girl's eyes widened before she ran over to the pile, dropping to her knees just in front of it muttering quietly. "N..No. My supper…"

"You okay, kid?" Qrow asked as he slowly approached her, his body on high alert. He could take her if she was hostile, but if she tried? He wasn't so sure. Even veteran hunters stay focused when fighting even the smallest and weakest of Grimm. A single mistake, would be the last mistake of their life. He saw this girl as a threat, even if she was a kid. "If you are, I have some questions for you."

"Huh…?" Looking over her shoulder, the girl stared wide-eyed at Qrow before frowning. "Do I… know you?"

"No. You don't" Kneeling down beside her, Qrow stared at the pile of ash. "My name is Qrow Branwen, and my friend over there is Peter Port. What's your name?"

"Uhmm… my name is… uhm, it's Shio."

"Shio huh? That's a cute name, and how old are you Shio?" Peter spoke up from behind the two of them, slowly approaching the duo. "If you don't mind my asking that is."

"How old I am?" Shio repeated before tilting her head to the side, adopting a thoughtful expression. "I'm not really sure. Soma never told me how old I was."

Both hunters were speechless in wake of the girls response. "Are you sure you didn't just forget? Maybe that Ursa hit you harder than you thought?" Peter tried to make sense of Shio's answer. He couldn't sense any deceit in her voice, so he knew that she was honest at least.

"What's an Ursa? Do you mean the big grizzly bear that I was playing with?"

"Gri- what?!" Peter exclaimed clearly taken aback by Shio's lack of knowledge, before collecting himself. ' _Relax. She is just a child, and her parent's probably sheltered her... Except normal children don't go toe to toe with a Ursa Major and keep_ it _on the defensive. Or throw them into the air... forget it. I'm not going to try and make sense of this situation right now, first Qrow and I need to get her back to beacon._ ' Nodding to himself, Peter was pulled from his thoughts by the frustrated yell of his partner. "Qrow? What is it?"

"She ran off!" Qrow snapped before taking off into forest, presumably following Shio. "You go back to Beacon and tell Oz what the hell happened!"

"Huh? What if he doesn't believe me?"

"Make him! Now hurry!"

"You got it!" Spinning on his heel, Peter took off in the direction of Beacon, pushing his body to it's limits in order to get to the headmaster's office as quickly as possible.

 **-  
 _A Resonance Between Worlds  
_ -**

Hurried footsteps filled the empty halls of Beacons top floor. One sprinting professor rushing down the ornate corridor leading to the headmasters office. One the large doors were in his view, Peter stuck his hands out and barreled through the doorway.

"You can't expect me to accept this, she's a child Ozpin."

"Relax Glynda. She is a child with great potential, I wish for her to gain the proper ski-"

"OZPIN!"

A young looking man shifted his calm gaze towards the portly man who had just screamed his name. His brown eyes peeking out from behind the frames of his glasses. "Professor Port, I thought you were in the emerald forest with Qrow, helping him clear out the Grimm."

Peter walked up to the desk in front of the man and nodded. "You'd be right Ozpin, however we found what's been killing the Grimm. Qrow if tailing he- it as we speak, he told me to return and tell you." Peter sighed after speaking before rubbing the back of his head, "Though, I'm pretty sure he just wanted me out of his hair."

"Professor Port, are you serious? You've found the creature that has been killing the Grimm in the forest?" Turning his head, Peter nodded at the woman beside him.

Glynda Goodwitch, the combat instructor at Beacon Academy. Despite her subject matter, she dressed fairly professionally. Her usual attire consisted of a white long-sleeved pleated top with a keyhole neckline in addition to a high waisted pencil skirt and black stockings with black heeled boots. She also wore a cape that was purple on the inside and black on the outside. Glynda looked more like a principal than she did a combat instructor.

"That's right. Qrow and I were tracking a set of footprints to the abandoned shelter just east of here, when we heard what sounded like a fight in our vicinity. There were trees falling and loud roars coming from an Ursa Major." As Peter spoke, Glynda narrowed her green eyes behind her glasses, silently demanding that he get to the point. "Qrow and I were certain that whatever was fighting the Ursa had to be connected to the recent slaughtering of Grimm."

"Considering the way you began our conversation, I assume that your intuition was correct?" Ozpin asked as he lifted his mug to take a drink of his cocoa.

"Yes, and when we investigated we found a young girl, barely into her teens toying with the Ursa, barehanded."

As if those words were taboo, every occupant in the room fell silent. Ozpin blinked quietly before setting his mug down and leaning into his seat. Glynda stared wide-eyed at port before stomping over to him, a loose blonde curl swaying side to side as she did. "Have you been drinking with Qrow, Peter? It's bad enough that Ozpin is letting a fifteen year old enroll in Beacon, but you claim that a literal _child_ fought a Ursa Major, barehanded? Do you take me for a fool?"

"Glynda. Relax, Professor Port wouldn't lie to us. What he says is true." Ozpin muttered before standing up and walking around his desk to stand beside Peter. His tousled silver hair, covering one of his eyes. He wore a open black suit over a black buttoned-up vest and a green shirt, in addition to dark green pants and black dress shoes. His glasses were shaded, but his eyes were completely visible. "You said that the girl was fighting the Grimm right? Did she say anything while fighting? Even the simplest of phrases would help us ascertain her intentions."

"She was laughing, and called the Ursa 'Mister Grimm'." Peter replied as he scratched his chin in thought. "She also mentioned something about being hungry."

"That's it?" Ozpin asked and sighed when Peter nodded. "Did she kill the Ursa? Did either of you talk to her?"

"No, I killed the Ursa after she got batted into a tree." Peter recalled as he looked at both Ozpin and Glynda, "We both spoke to her, she said her name was Shio and that she didn't know how old she was before running off."

"Did this Shio, mention any other names? People that she may be affiliated with?"

"Yes! She mentioned a Soma, but she didn't say much about him."

"Hmm… I see." Turning around, Ozpin stared out of the large windows that made of the back wall of his office. "How would you describe her combat? This girl is a unknown, and I wish to gather as much data on her as I can without physically meeting her."

"I understand." Peter nodded as Glynda sighed and walked over to the desk, crossing her arms under her chest and she and Ozpin listened to Peter's reply, "It was sloppy, she had no technique. But I could _hear_ every impact, I could actually see the Grimm shake with each attack. She relied mostly on kicks, but she's fast. The Ursa Major may be slow, but it didn't even have the time to register her last move before she was halfway through her next." Taking a deep breath, Peter continued, "She displayed inhuman strength as well. Once she was on top of the Ursa's shoulders, she grabbed is neck and jumped, bringing it up with her before kicking it at least fifty feet away and impaling it on a tree before falling to the ground."

Both Ozpin and Glynda showed signs of surprise, the latter more than the former, at this "Interesting. You said she was swatted into a tree? How badly was she hurt?"

"She wasn't. She stayed down for a few minutes. Both Qrow and I heard a loud snap when she hit the tree, but she showed absolutely no signs of being hurt. In fact, she said it kind of tickled."

"Oh for the love of… I've had enough of this fairy tail Peter. I want you to call Qrow right now and get him to give us a video feed of what's going on." Glynda demanded making Ozpin and Peter sigh.

"Of course… Give me a moment." Pulling out his scroll, Peter dialed Qrow's number and waited several long moments for an answer. After the fourth ring, it picked up.

" _What?! I'm kinda in a hurry right now Pete!_ "

"That's fine! I'm going to request a video feed, just accept it and direct the camera in front of you." Giving Qrow no time to protest, Peter pulled his scroll away from his ear and laid it on the desk beside Ozpin before pressing the small projection button beside the mute symbol.

" _Fine._ " Not long after, a bright blue line shot out from the screen of the scroll before expanding into a long holographic panel giving the three occupants of the headmaster's office a perfect view of the chase. " _Now shut up and let me focus!_ " Qrow roared as he leaped over a large trunk before hitting the ground and taking off again, never missing a beat.

The sound of the hunters laboured breathing filled the room as he sprinted after the unseen target. The camera shifted violently as Qrow sidestepped several dark trees that were in his way.

" _Hehe~ This is fun Mr. Qrow! Catch me if you can… Ooo!_ " The new voice giggled before something caught it's attention. The camera caught a white blur shoot to the left in the treetops before the camera itself spun in relation to Qrow's turn. Having lost his momentum, Qrow's leg filled one corner of the panel before he kicked off the tree beside him, launching himself in the direction of the blur.

" _ARRGH! Damn it!_ " Qrow's voice sounded out as he resumed his pursuit of Shio only to stumble across another clearing. In the middle of the clearing was the young girl standing in front of a pack of Beowolves. " _She's distracted. I'll capture her once these Grimm are taken care of._ "

"You're not going to help her Qrow? She'll die!" Glynda exclaimed as she gaped at the image before her.

" _Nah. The kid'll be fine for now. Just watch witchy_ " Before Glynda could comment on her new nickname, one of the Beowolves lunged at Shio baring its fangs hungrily.

" _Nuh-uh! You're too slow doggie!_ " Effortlessly stepping out of the way, Shio let the Beowulf land where she used to be standing before spinning on her heel and leaning to the side before delivering a bone-shattering kick to the Beowulf's side. " _Hi-ya!_ "

A resounding yelp filled the air as the Grimm flew off screen. In the wake of one of their own being injured the rest of the Grimm charged at Shio. She chuckled before hopping up into the air, over two of the furious Grimm. As soon as her feet made contact with the ground, Shio bent backwards to avoid the deadly swipe of a third. In response, Shio grabbed the arm of the Grimm and leaped high up into the air dragging the Grimm with her. " _Behave!_ " Scolding the Grimm like a owner would scold a misbehaving pet, she spun around in mid air before swinging the Grimm towards the ground and letting go. It hurled towards the hard terrain, closely followed by Shio who had her left leg extended. The Grimm landed on its back and Shio landed on top of it almost immediately after. Her extended leg pierced right through the upper torso of the Grimm, while her retracted leg swung violently out to the side taking the head clean off of another Beowulf, turning it to ash instantly.

"I-Incredible…" Glynda muttered as Ozpin narrowed his eyes.

Smiling without a care in the world, Shio backflipped out of the prone Grimm's torso, tearing it open even further almost bifurcating it. Its head split open before blowing up into a pile of ash. " _That's twoo for Shiooo~_ " Singing to herself, Shio landed on her hands and craned her neck up to look directly at Qrow. " _This makes three right, Mr. Qrow?_ " She asked as she lowered herself to the ground by bending her arms before launching herself up into the air once again. Soaring just above the height of the trees, Shio smiled down at second second to last Beowulf that was sprinting towards her falling form. " _One~_ " She called out as she retracted her right leg and tilted her body forward, " _Twoo~_ " As she got closer to the ground, the Beowulf leaped up into the air in hoped of catching her falling body in between it maw. " _And THREE!_ " Her kick was too fast for all but Ozpin to see. It punctured the Beowulf's chest on impact making a large hole, almost twice the size of Shio's foot before its body was flung backwards at neck breaking speeds. The Beowulf shot towards Qrow who got into a defensive position and prepared to draw his sword, only to be met with a face full of black ash, the Beowulf having died before it even hit him.

" _If she wasn't a kid… I'd kill her for doing that. It was completely on purpose._ " Qrow grumbled as he wiped the ash off of his face. The projection had some black specs on it as well, though nothing severe enough to impede the sight of the clearing.

All four adults watched as the remaining Grimm that charged Shio first, tried once more as the girl recovered from her kick. She was falling with her back to the ground, and her head directly in the Grimm's path. Her eyes widened as she saw the Grimm rapidly approaching her. The Grimm readied itself to pounce, its hind legs tensing up and its maw dripping with saliva as it started its jump. Before its front paws even left the ground, Shio let out a quiet groan and swung her left leg over her head, flipping her body over one hundred and eighty degrees. She drove her heel into into the top of the Beowulf's head, forcing it to the ground. The impact forced the ground to crack before caving in under the head of the Grimm. Before Shio could react, its body turned to ash and she lost her balancing just above ground. Without the time to straighten herself properly, the young girl hit the ground on her side before rolling a few feet away from the body of the Grimm.

" _Now is as good a time as any. I'm going to try and get her to come back with me, all in favor say I_ " Qrow strode out into open and made his way over to Shio. " _Let's go kiddo, there are some people that want to talk to you._ " Crouching down in front of her, Qrow stuck his hand out and loosely grabbed Shio's arm before pulling her to her feet.

"Be careful Qrow, I'm going to cut the call now. See you soon." Hanging up, Peter picked up his scroll and pocketed it. "Do you believe me now, Professor Goodwitch?" Glancing at the blonde in front of him, Peter cracked a smile. "Like Ozpin said, I don't lie."

"Fine. I won't dispute live evidence." Glynda reluctantly conceded before pushing her glasses up. Ever since the call had ended, a heavy silence fell over the three occupants of the room.

"Professor Port, please return to your class immediately," Ozpin's voice was serious, his words leaving no room for debate. "I'm sure that you know this already as well, but please refrain from divulging the contents of what we saw to anybody. Even other staff members, alright?"

"Of course Ozpin, and don't worry, I won't utter a word." Turning on his heel, Peter rushed out of the office, leaving Glynda and Ozpin alone.

"So, what's the plan Ozpin?" Glynda walked a few feet away from the desk so she was standing in front of Ozpin. "Want to talk to her the same way we did with Miss Rose?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think that is an option." Reaching for his mug, Ozpin drank a mouthful of the lukewarm cocoa. "Before we do anything, we need to get her to Beacon, and I feel like that will be far easier said than done."

"Do you really think that child could cause someone like Qrow problems?" Disbelief was evident in her voice, forcing Ozpin to nod his head in a silent response. "I see. Well, I will be taking my leave then. I have much to do before the new first years arrive tomorrow morning, let alone how much prep needs to be done for the test in two days." Turning away from Ozpin, Glynda strode out of the office, the sound of her heels hitting the floor resonating off the walls. Her departure was marked by the slamming of a large oak door.

"Ruby Rose and Shio huh… Beacon will be eventful this year." Smirking to himself, Ozpin set his mug down and turned his head to look out of one of the large windows, watching the students bustle to and from their classes. "Hopefully this Shio girl is an ally. She could turn the tides on this coming war of ours." Narrowing his eyes, he stared off into the distance at something far passed the borders of Vale.

 **-  
 _A Resonance Between Worlds  
_ -**

"Uhmm, why are you carrying me? I can walk you know…" Shio muttered as she leaned her head back against Qrow's shoulder to look at him.

"Yeah, I know." Glancing down, Qrow watched as the pale girl whined and pouted. "The last time I let you walk, you ran away and got into a fight with a pack of Grimm. If we travel like this, then you won't have a chance to run away."

True to his word, Qrow refused to take any more chances. As soon as the last Grimm died, Qrow had lifted Shio up and draped her over his left shoulder. The young girl wasn't very happy about it, but she didn't struggle. She just complained, a lot.

"Well, can I uhm…"

"Can you what?"

"Well you see, it isn't very comfortable like this… so if you don't mind, can I uhm... Can I sit on your shoulders? I promise I won't jump off." Shio stared up at the weary hunter who just nodded and stopped walking. "Really!? Yay!"

Grinning, Shio rolled her body over so she was hanging off of Qrow's shoulder. "One… Two… and Up!" She exclaimed before hoisting her body up into the air, swinging her legs over Qrow's shoulders. "Hehe~ I'm so tall!"

' _How can this girl… be that deadly? It's almost like she has two different minds, one for killing and one for playing._ ' Shutting his eyes, Qrow reluctantly put up with the young girl who was climbing over him trying to get comfortable. "Hey, could you settle down?"

"Huh? Okay Mr. Grumpy!" Shio leaned over his head and smiled at him gleefully. Gray eyes met golden eyes, and Qrow froze. There is an old urban legend that says you can tell a person's history through their eyes, you can feel what they felt and see what they've seen. What Qrow saw unnerved him, this young girl, who was unbearably cheerful had seen things that were just as, if not worse than what most veteran hunters have seen. Yet she hid it remarkably well. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh…? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Qrow brushed off Shio's concerns which resulted in her frowning for a second before pulling her upper body back upright. "Listen, we are going to a place known as Beacon Academy, we are going to have to go through Vale so make sure to behave yourself okay?"

"Mhmm! I'll be good."

"Haa… Once I get this kid to Ozpin I'm going to drink my stress away like I usually do. This is the last time that I forget my flask."

 _Streets of Vale._

"Woahhh! Vale is soo pretty~" Shio exclaimed as she used the top of Qrow's head to balance herself while leaning over him to look through the gates of the city. "There are so many people! They all look so happy too!"

"H-Hey! Just relax kid, you're gonna fall." Qrow reached up and carefully pushed Shio back so that she wasn't in danger of falling off. "I know you want to explore, but we need to be somewhere. So just sit tight okay?"

"Fuu~ Okay…" Pouting, Shio sat back down and rested her chin on Qrow's head. She lazily watched as the two of them passed by throngs of people and tons of storefronts. ' _I wanna explore… Ah! I know, once Mr. Qrow lets me down I'll run. Yeah!_ ' Cheering in her head, Shio cuddled into Qrow, smiling to herself.

"I wonder what Oz wants with you, Kid." Looking up, Qrow spotted the large tower that symbolized the highest point of the academy. "Well, we're almost there so I guell we'll find out soon hey?"

"Mmhmm... " Shio sounded out as she nodded, it had been so long since she last ate. All her energy was gone. "Almost there." Mumbling to herself, Shio's world went black as she passed out on Qrow's shoulders.

 _Headmaster Ozpin's Office_

"-ane? She is a ch-"

"-ax. If she wanted troub-"

'Huuh? Who are these people?' Shio's eyes cracked open and she was greeted with nothing but blurred images and bits of conversation. 'Where is Mr. Qrow?'

"Ah, it seems like she's coming to." A man with shaggy gray hair filled Shio's vision as she rubbed her eyes to try and get rid of the blurriness "Hello young lady, I am the headmaster of this academy, Professor Ozpin. I assume you're Shio?"

"Uh-huh." Nodding in response, Shio looked around her surroundings. She was in a large round room, that had a faint green tint to it. A large semi-circle shaped window was positioned behind a crescent shaped glass desk. Underneath the glass, were several cogs. Above her head were several larger, moving cogs and gears. Behind her was the door, surrounded by several pillars that were supporting a large gray canopy

"If I may ask Shio, where are you from?"

"Where am I from? Uhm.. I think Soma called it the Far east." Directing her attention back to the headmaster. "This is Vale right? I remember Mr. Qrow carrying me through the streets… unless that was a dream?"

"No, that was reality, and yes, this is Vale. Well, Beacon Academy more specifically." Backing away from Shio, Ozpin pulled up a holographic map of Remnant and motioned for Shio to walk over. The young girl hesitated for a moment before pushing herself up and slowly walking over. She was aware of the other presence in the room, but it hadn't spoken directly to her yet, so she didn't pay much attention to it. "Could you point to your home on this map?"

"Ermm…" Squinting, Shio examined the transparent map before shaking her head. "Nope!"

"I see. Can you remember your past then? Maybe you have some form of memory loss?"

"Nu-uh. I can remember everything!" Shio smiled before a shimmering light caught her attention. Looking up, she saw what looking like sparkling metal. "Ahh…"

Looking up himself, Ozpin stared at the metal cog. "Do you like stuff like that? I can give you one if you'd like, I have plenty."

"I… It's not that. It just reminded me of home." Shio adopted a forlorn expression as she watched the slow moving cog above her.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Hmm… kinda." Shio nodded slowly before forcing a smile and looking down, staring at Ozpin. "Much like here, my home is plagued by a horrible darkness. I was alone for such a long time, it was a miserable time of my life."

"Oh? Would you like to talk about it?" Ozpin reached out and laid his hand on Shio's shoulder. "Nngh!"

The minute Ozpin touched Shio, his head was filled his pain as memories that were not his own flooded his mind. Pulling his hand away, Ozpin stumbled back before glancing at the young girl in front of him. "What was that?"

"I think it's called _resonance_. It's what happens when two people temporarily share their memories." Shio mumbled just loud enough for Ozpin to hear as she shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable. "I won't tell anyone what I saw if you don't tell anyone what you saw okay…?"

"Ahem… Of course. That goes without saying." Standing up, Ozpin cleared his throat before turning towards his desk. "Shio, I don't have the ability to change your past, but I can change your future."

"Hmm?" Shio tilted her head to the side, adopting a look of confusion "You can…?"

"Yes." Ozpin's eyes shone with determination as he watched the young girl stare back at him. "Miss Shio, would you like to learn about our world?"

"Yeah!"

"Have you ever attended a school?"

"School? Uhmm… I was taught by my friends and Dr. Sakaki, but I've never been to school." Shio slowly began to piece it all together, when she figured it out her eyes lit up with excitement. "Ah! Can I go to school here?!"

In response to her question, Ozpin just nodded while keeping his face neutral. "Yes. However you will have to lodge with one of the staff considering you are far too young to be left unsupervised. Once you know a bit more about Remnant we can discuss you having a room of your own. Is that acceptable?"

"Mhmm!" Shio grinned as she stood up from her seat and walked over to Ozpin. "Come here!" She motioned for the older man to bend down, which he did. Shio did nothing for a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. "My friends told me that hugging is a way to show affection… I hope it is the same here?"

Nodding, Ozpin embraced her as well "It is, don't worry. Now," pulling out of the embrace Ozpin stood up straight and glanced at the woman standing beside his desk. "Glynda, would you mind watching over little Shio for the time being? I plan to ask either Peter or Qrow to take over the full time duty, but I think they both deserve some time to themselves right now."

"Me?! What about the preparations for the first years?" The blonde woman shrieked at the thought of more work being shuffled off to her.

"Get Shio to help. I'm sure that her presence will calm the new students enough." Ozpin shrugged off Glynda concerns before walking over to her "Listen, I know you don't like this. Quite frankly I know that I'm in the wrong this time, this girl could be a serious threat to Beacon."

"Then why? Why put your students at risk?!" Glynda snapped, keeping her voice low to avoid being heard.

"Because I can keep an eye on her here. Right now she is a blank slate, she's still growing which means she is _very_ impressionable. If we mold her to be a responsible, kind and caring individual, she would be one of the greatest threats to _her_. However, if she is captured by them first… well I don't need to tell you what would happen." Ozpin's voice was serious, he was willing to turn this young girl into a huntress even though a single misstep would be catastrophic.

"I-" Biting her lip in thought, Glynda sighed in resignation. "Fine. But if this goes wrong, you'll clean it up yourself."

"Of course."

"Then we will be on our way. She has to get settled in before tomorrow." Glynda muttered before walked passed Ozpin and over to Shio who was staring off into space. "Come on Shio, let's get going." Reaching out, she was pleasantly surprised when Shio took hold of her hand.

"Okay, let's go Ms. Glynda!" Smiling, Shio fell in step with the taller woman who just shook her head amusedly. The two of them left Ozpin's office in silence.

Ozpin, who was finally alone, gripped the edge of his desk making the steel and glass strain. "If what I saw was true… I guess I can truly say that things could be worse." Chuckling darkly to himself, Ozpin lifted a hand to his face and forced it to stop shaking. "Aragami… The darkness that swallowed up Shio's world in an instant. What a terrifying force."

 **-  
 _A Resonance Between Worlds  
_ -**

"You're hungry?"

"Yeah… I haven't eaten in days~" Shio whined as she held her stomach in the middle of Glynda's living room.

"Days? You didn't scavenge at all while in the forest?" Astonished, Glynda glared down at Shio who shrunk in place "You need to take care of yourself child! You may be strong but you'll never grow if you starve yourself!"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"It's fine. Would you like me to cook you something?" An eager nod was all the confirmation that Glynda needed. "Alright. What would you like?"

"Hmm… Meat!"

"...Meat? Just meat?"

"Yup! That what I ate when I was home, I hunted my dinner myself for a looong time!"

The Professor nodded slowly before turning around and walking towards her kitchen. "Wait here, I'll be back soon." With those words, Glynda left Shio alone.

"Hmm… this room is really pretty." Sitting on a black woven carpet, Shio looked around the living room. There was a black leather couch that was pushed up against the back wall, along with a matching recliner against the left wall, right beside it.

In front of her was a large transparent panel held in between two silver clips on the top and bottom, held up by a silver stand. It sat in a large black display case hidden behind thin glass doors. On either side was a speaker. The display case was separated into three sections and a base, all three sections were surrounding the panel on the sides and below it.

There were CDs in the left section and Movies in the right, while two machines sat underneath it.

Aside from the display case was a big, clear window with a perfect view of Vale down below, covered by simple white blinds while dark purple curtains were tied together on either side. In the front of the room was a open doorway that led out into a hallway that opened up into the kitchen and Glynda's bedroom.

Bright, white pot lights were scattered around the ceiling providing more than enough light for Shio to see. The walls were painted a dark purple, mug like the curtains, and charcoal hardwood floor covered every inch of the home.

"If only there were…" Scanning the room, Shio's eyes widened as she spotted a large wooden bookcase, filled with leather bound books. "Books!" Smiling, she skipped over to the bookcase and pulled down a random book before dropping down, cracking the book open.

" _The World Of Remnant; Vale_ " Reading aloud, Shio began to flip through the many pages of the book, losing herself in the reality that was woven by the author.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Glynda moved through the room, gathering spices and seasonings while keeping an eye on the cooking steak. She wasn't sure if the young girl could eat it all, but she was too concerned about her starving to worry about wasting some food. "Honestly… how could she neglect herself for so long? She said that she hunted, so why not do the same here… it's not like the Grimm were a real threat to her."

Flipping up the lid on the grill, Glynda put the steak on a plate and put some seasoning on it. She was about to bring it out to Shio before she stopped and began cutting it into strips for the girl "I don't trust a child with a steak knife." Nodding at herself, Glynda finally brought the plate out to the living room with a napkin and a glass of soda. "Shio, your foods ready."

"Okay! Thank you!"

Putting the plate and glass down on the coffee table, Glynda glanced to the side and felt a smile spread over her features. Shio sat cross-legged surrounded by books. "Come on Shio, you can read after you've eaten."

"Okay…" Putting her current book down, Shio stood up and walked over to Glynda before sitting down on the couch. "Thank you Ms. Glynda!" Smiling, the pale girl used the fork to impale a sliver of the steak and stuff her mouth.

"Shio! You need to savour food like this." Glynda scolded, which made Shio jump slightly in her seat.

"Sawwrie…"

"Honestly, you can act so mature one second but in an instant you're a child again. What's going on with you?"

Swallowing her mouthful, Shio frowned as she recalled memories from her past. "Well, a man name Dr. Sakaki was the one who took care of me and told me what I was. He told me that I was growing at an inexplicably rapid rate, I had the appearance and personality of a young child, with the intelligence of a full grown woman. Due to an… event, my physical growth was slowed down, which caused an imbalance inside of me." Shio put a hand to her chest as she stared longingly at nothing.

There it goes again. She swapped personalities in an instant. What's going on? "Shio, what do you mean an imbalance?"

Glynda had many questions, but maternal instinct won out and she let her concern for the child cloud her judgement.

"As of right now, I grow about twice as fast as a normal human, however the mindset of my childish side and my mature side have melded."

"You speak as if you're not human, you shouldn't do that. Everyone has something unique about them." Kneeling down in front of Shio, Glynda offered the girl a reassuring smile only to be met with an empty stare. "Shio…?"

"Ms. Glynda. I speak as if I'm not human, because I'm not." Forcing herself to smile, Shio laid her fork down on the table with a soft click. "I'm more like a Grimm than a human."

Glynda's eyes widened, her heart stopping dead in her chest. ' _A human-shaped Grimm? That isn't possible!_ ' Shaking her head, Glynda stood up and glared at the young girl. "You're a Grimm?"

"Not a Grimm, but something like it." Looking down, Shio gripped the hem of her dress tightly. "D-Do you hate me now?"

"No, but I am disappointed Shio. Lying is not a good habit to pick up!"

"I'm not lying…" Pouting, Shio hopped off the couch and took a few small steps towards Glynda before reaching you and taking the older woman's hands in her own. "I'll prove it…" Giving the older woman a small smile Shio closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Ms. Glynda but this may hurt."

Glynda couldn't form the words in her head to even think of a response, her vision spun and she blacked out.

 _Unknown place, Unknown time_

"Nngh…" holding her head, Glynda slowly sat up and look around. She was in the middle of an abandoned temple, two large bronze statues stood on either side behind her. A broken roof let some snow and moonlight into the tiny room. Looking up, she smiled as she laid eyes on the full moon. Wait.

' _What the hell?!_ ' Losing her composure for once, Glynda all but leapt to her feet and ran out of the room, carefully making her way down the broken, icy staircase.

Sure enough, the full moon hung brightly overhead. It was in perfect condition. ' _I… what?_ '

" **GRAAGGHHH!** " A ear piercing roar sounded out from behind her. Without even thinking, she leaped high into the air and landed on a Chinese-style wall that was in front of her.

The splintering of wood filled her ears. Looking around, she ran along the top of the wall until she could make out what looked like a giant ape that was clad in golden armour. It has three red pipe-shaped organs growing out of its back, directed over its head. The beast has a wide mouth, filled with razor sharp teeth and it's face is covered in a red mask concealing everything from it nose to its two pointy ears. The only thing visible was it's bright green eyes. Swishing behind it was a long curled tail, the end of its tail was covered in the same red material as its mask.

"Hmm, he could be yummy." Glynda's body pushed itself into a sprint before leaping off the wall and hitting the snowy ground with a thud. The large creature towered over her, it was like a child standing next to an Ursa Major. ' _Why do I feel so short? More importantly, why am I approaching this monster alone?_ '

Looking down, Glynda went to grab the whip that she kept hidden in her boot only to see a bare, pale leg with what looked like a torn piece of clothing wrapped around her. ' _Where is my-_ '

 _ **BANG, BANG, BANG**_

Looking up, Glynda's eyes shot wide open as a giant palm swatted at her. Leaping into the air, the hand barely missed her and connected with the ground where she once stood. The snowy, frozen ground caved in on impact throwing up a cloud of snow into the air. " **RARRGGH!** "

As her body slowly fell back to the ground, the beast slammed its fists on the ground before kicking itself into the air. The ground exploded under the force of the kick, sending debris of dirt and ice flying outwards. Drawing its right hand back, it soon formed a fist before throwing a punch.

Air whistled around its fist as Glynda brought her two arms together over her face and torso to absorb the blow. Seconds felt like days before it's fist made impact. Pain shot through her as every bone in shook from the force. "Guh!"

Wind rushed into her back as her body was sent flying. She made contact with the ground first, making a small cloud of snow form around her before she bounced up and kept going, only slowing down when her body began rolling across the frozen ground. She made a sudden stop as her body hit a rocky wall, knocking the air out of her lungs. "Nnnn… that hurts Mr. Kongou! It isn't very nice!"

' _What am I saying? Mr. Kongou? Is that what this beast is called?_ ' Slowly standing up, she grabbed her head and shook it to try and dispel the dizziness. ' _Wait! Mr. Kongou? Where have I heard that kind of phrase before… Shio!_ ' Looking down at her body, Glynda found her assumption to be right. Gone was her teaching attired having been replaced with a torn white flag that bore an image of a giant red wolfs head. It was tied together around her chest and waist. A quick once over revealed that she wasn't wearing anything else. ' _How indecent!_ '

Despite her inner ramblings, she no… Shio, began to walk towards the Kongou who was charging at her. ' _RUN AWAY SHIO!_ ' Glynda screamed in Shio's mind, though the young girl showed no signs of hearing her, in fact she began to run towards the beast instead.

"Bad people need to be taught a lesson!" Slamming her foot into the ground, Shio's body stopped and spun in place raising her free leg into the air as the Kongou breached striking distance. At the height of her spin, just before she was giving the Kongou her side, Shio extended her leg and slammed it into the side of the Kongous' head.

The monstrosity went airborne as its body was flung into a nearby wall like it weighed nothing. What would have been tonnes of stone fell atop the creature who was soon buried under rubble. ' _N-No way…_ '

Before Shio could do anything, a large burst of air shaped like a sphere shot out at her. Having let her guard down, the sphere of violently spinning air hit her full on. "A-AHHHH!" She screamed in pain as hundred of cuts the size of paper cuts opened on her body before the air dissipated and her body crumbled to the freezing ground with a loud thud.

As she lay there, the Kongou unearthed itself and began to stalk over to the fallen girl. ' _Shio! Get up! Get up and run! Don't just lay there dammit!_ ' Glynda's' pleas fell on deaf ears as the Kongou stopped right in front of the girl and lowered its head before opening its giant mouth.

" **GRRAA-!** " Spittle flew onto Shio's face as the giant barred its ugly teeth with a deafening roar. However, it's victory cheer was cut short as a chainsaw-like weapon connected with the top of the Kongou's head.

"Die." The newcomer spoke curtly before the sound of the chainsaw revving up filled the air. As the chainsaw began tearing through the Kongou's head, both Shio's and Glynda's vision was filled with red.

" **NNRAAHHH!** " The beast howled in pain as blood sprayed from its head, painting the snowy ground red. Shio scrambled out from under the beast's head and got to her feet. She was unfortunately standing directly in the path of the blood, resulting in a diagonal spray of red liquid to cover her from hip to shoulder.

" **RAAAAAA!** " The Kongou continued to howl and thrash for another few second, making Glynda nauseous before the chainsaw tore through its brain and slide through the rest of its skull like butter. Due to the force applied, the teeth of the chainsaw cut into the frozen ground causing a large slash to appear in the ice before it slowed down and stopped. The weapon's wielder pulled it out of the ground leaving a long oval shaped slash outlined by blood before they swung it behind them. The blood on the teeth of the chainsaw splattered in a long line across the ground.

As footsteps began to approach Shio, she watched as the face of the Kongou slowly peeled off before falling to the snowy ground with a sickening splat followed by a crash as the body of the creature fell limp and hit the ground. "-ttle girl. Are you okay?"

"U-Uhmm…" swallowing hungrily, Shio looked away from the corpse and turned to see a tall man, resting a giant weapon on his shoulder. Before Glynda could make anything else out, the world went black once again.

 _Glynda's Apartment, Vale._

"Huaa…!" Eyes wide, Glynda frantically looked around her forcing herself to calm down. "Shio?"

"Mmhmm…?" The young girl in question smiled up at the woman, who let out a shaky breath. "You weren't expecting that were you?"

" _That?!_ Do you mind explaining to me what that was?" Glynda snapped as she moved to the couch and sat down, letting her head fall into her palms. "I've never seen a Grimm like that, are they exclusive to the Far East?"

"Well, that's because it isn't a Grimm. That was a Kongou, a species of Aragami."

"Ara-gami?" Dumbfounded, Glynda gaped at Shio as she slowly connected the dots. "Then earlier when you said you weren't human, you mean you're one of those?"

"Yes, I am an Aragami. According to Mr. Sakkaki at least."

"This is too much, you look so human! I can't believe you Shio!" Shaking her head vigorously, Glynda refused to accept the truth. It was too much for the professor. "That vision must have been your semblance, it makes people see false realities right?"

"Nn-Nn. That was called resonance. Usually only a special kind of person can experience it, however being what I am I can mimic the effects of resonance with a normal human. However it isn't as strong as it would be between… others."

"So… what does this resonance do?" Overwhelmed, Glynda just asked questions. She thought that if she had a moment of silence, nothing would make sense to her anymore.

"It basically lets the two people experiencing it relive the others memory. In this case, I saw one of your early fights against the Grimm alongside Mr Ozpin, Mr Qrow and Ms… Raven?" Shio tapped her chin softly as she tried to remember the name of the last member in Glynda's team. "What you saw was me hunting for food."

"F-Food?! You were going to eat that… thing?" Shio flinched slightly at Glynda's description of the aragami. "Why?"

Spinning on her heel, Shio intertwined her fingers behind her back as she wandered in a circle. "I eat Aragami because I am a… cannabille?"

"You mean canibal? You eat your own kind?" Disgust flooding her voice before she could stop herself. Glynda was only human, which meant that it wasn't impossible to catch her off guard.

"I had no choice. Unlike the Grimm who only kill humans leaving you with fruits and animals, the Aragami killed **_everything!_** There were no animals, no crops, only human and Aragami!" Shio bit her lip as she stared at Glynda, who returned the stare.

"Shio…"

"I'm sorry… it's just, when I was back home I only knew a few people who accepted me for who I was. I'm not used to criticism like that." Collecting her thoughts, Shio smiled weakly "I grew accustomed to the taste of my own kind, yes. Though I also eat human food, so I'm not wholly cannibalistic."

' _Just a second ago, she didn't even know the word yet now she knows a much more complicated version of it?_ ' Watching Shio pace around her living room, Glynda smiled. "I'm sorry for how I reacted."

"Hm? It's okay!" Laughing, Shio waved off Glynda's apology with a smile.

"If you don't mind my asking, you said the Aragami killed everything, so that means you are from another world?" Shio gave a curt nod in response to Glynda's question "Then… how did you get to Remnant?"

Silence followed the second question. Neither Shio or Glynda said a word. "I- I have no clue. I was on the moon back in my world, because of… things, and I went to sleep one day only to wake up surrounded by Grimm. Of course I had no clue what they were until I ate one." Turning to look at Glynda, Shio stuck her tongue out and pointed at her mouth "They were disgusting. Turned to ash in my mouth."

"They tend to do that. Grimm dissolve when they are killed."

"Yeah, so do Aragami! In a weird, one with nature kinda way…" Shaking her head, Shio pointed out the window adopting a serious expression. "What happened to your moon? I assumed Grimm destroyed it, but I can't be certain."

"Unfortunately, I do not know. That is one of the great questions that plagues our society," Glynda was about to say more before she saw the time "We need to welcome the new students!" Hopping to her feet, Glynda rushed towards the door and passed Shio, grabbing her arm dragging her behind. "We will continue this talk later with Ozpin, but for now we have a job to do!"

"H-Hey, Ms. Glynda wait!" Shio cried out as she was forcefully pulled out of the apartment by a hurried Glynda. "Where are we going?"

"Back to Beacon! We have to contact the first years airship in order to relay the welcome message." Out on the streets, Glynda reached further down and took hold of Shio's hand. ' _No pain? Good, it seems like it only happens when she wants it to._ '

"We? What do you mean we Ms. Glynda?" Shio voiced her question as Glynda began jogging down the street with Shio, like a mother rushing her daughter to school.

"You are going to help me greet them, Ozpin believes that a child such as yourself will have a soothing effect on the freshmen." Glynda stated matter of factly, eliciting a small squeak from the aragami girl. "There are about two, maybe three hundred students this year, so be friendly!"

"H-Hundred…?" Shio whimpered out as they neared the large academy "I don't do well with large groups Ms Glynda! I get nervous…"

"It's too late now Shio! Just grit your teeth and bear with it!" Glynda called out over her shoulder. "Say something cute to make them smile or be kind to calm them down!"

"S-Stop pressuring me!"

Both of them began to bicker back and forth, a new experience for both girls. In Glynda's case, no one ever dared to argue with her aside from the staff, and for Shio, she had never felt like this before.

' _She's a completely different girl from when I met her. This growth rate is astonishing…!_ ' Glynda pushed open the front door to Beacon and hurried to the elevator pushing Shio inside to avoid anyone seeing her. "Just relax, Shio. If you mess up, then you'll be ridiculed but that is part of life."

"MS. GLYNDA!" Shio cried out in frustration making Glynda chuckle lightly as the elevator began moving up towards the headmaster's office.

* * *

 **And done.**

 **Now, I'm not sure if I am going to do pairings in this but if you guys want one or two then just let me know and I will think about adding them. The main cast from GE will eventually make their way to remant so feel free to pair them with RWBY characters if you wish. (This whole little section may be completely pointless, who knows.)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. The First Ripple Pt2

**Here she is, chapter two. Please let me know what you guys think! Enjoy!**

* * *

"You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy, our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace. And as future huntsman and huntresses it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task. And now it's our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

Scattered murmurs filled the airship as Glynda's message rang out through the small deck. Those that knew her, were stunned by her personal message, those that didn't didn't seem to care very much. Save for one scythe-wielding fifteen year old, who immediately turned to her sister once the hologram disappeared.

"Yang! She was there when the headmaster invited me to enroll." Ruby rose exclaimed as she pointed at the hologram of the professor while staring at her older sister.

Yang Xiao Long, she was as temperamental as she was beautiful. Sporting lilac eyes accompanied by a head of bright yellow hair that travelled down her back, passing her waist. She wore a gold low-cut crop top that was covered up by a tan button-up vest along with black fingerless the vest or the crop top did very much to cover up her generous bosom. In addition to this, she also wore a brown belt that sat on her hips with a pouch and banner on either side, a golden heart crest adorned the banner. Under the belt, she wore a straight but short white back skirt over a pair of black shorts. Yang also wore brown knee high leather platform-boots with yellow socks of different lengths and a gray bandana wrapped around the top of her left boot.

"Her? Glynda Goodwitch?" Tapping her foot against the metal floor beneath her she smirked to herself. "I heard that some professor named Goodwitch was the combat instructor here at Beacon, think that's her?" Glancing down at her younger sister, she couldn't help but feel a flood of glee as she thought of how proud she was.

Ruby Rose, her half sister. She was a fair bit shorter than Yang, as well as two years younger, being only fifteen. She had silver-eyes that shone with the curiosity of a girl her age as well at shoulder length black hair with a red tint to it. She wore a black blouse and black waist cincher which had red lacing as well as a skirt with red trimmings. Around her neck, she wore a red hooded cloak. She also wore black boots that stopped just short of her knees over top of her black tights.

"It's gotta be! She was _really_ strong!" Ruby declared, her voice full of certainty. "She was all like ' _Children shouldn't interfere in the matters of adults'_ before totally kicking butt! Sure whoever it was got away, but that's not the point!"

"Ohh-kay~ Just chillax sis! I get it, she's super awesome." Yang pat her younger sister before opening her mouth to let loose one of her infamous puns. A group of random people in the background prepared to boo her, and a few others slowly began to pick up fruits and vegetables from seemingly nowhere. However before a single vowel left her lips, the hologram came alive again.

" _Uhmm… C-Can they see me?_ " Came a soft voice from the centre of the ship. All eyes turned to the holographic young girl. " _I can't do this! They see me… T-They're all looking at me!"_

" _Just relax and breath. It's not that bad."_ Glynda's hushed voice rang out making the flustered girl nod and take a deep breath.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know but she's cute!"

The voices of several students rang out in response to the small interaction between Glynda and the young girl. Yang and Ruby were speechless.

" _Okay." Squeezing her eyes shut, the girl took a breath before smiling and opening her eyes wide. "Welcome to Beacon everybody! I'm about to be a student here myself, so I hope we can all get along! Uhm… what else should I say Ms Glynda?!"_

" _Your name!"_

" _Oh! Yeah, I'm Shio!"_ Raising her hand, Shio waved at the students, some of which waved back smiling. Others were dumbstruck. This kid was a student at beacon? Was she older that she looked?

" _Fuuu~ That was so scary Ms Glynda! I felt like they were staring through me, I told you I wasn't good with crowds!"_ Shio pouted as she glared up passed the camera and at Glynda. " _It's bad enough that I had to do this, but to do it live was even worse…"_

" _Were still recording Shio…"_

" _Eh…? WHAT?! I thought you stopped it!"_ Shio cried out as a bright blush flooded her cheeks, her golden eyes wide open in shock " _TURN IT OFF!_ " Reaching out, the young girl tried to turn the camera a look of embarrassment on her face. Not long after, the transmission cut off.

Silence. That's what followed the second message. A few long seconds later, the whole ship erupted into cheers. "SHES SOO CUTE!"

Yang and Ruby both flinched as the once quiet room was filled with people screaming at the top of their lungs. "She looks…"

"Even younger than me." Ruby muttered as she gaped, wide-eyed at the spot where Shio's hologram once was. "Thank goodness I'm not the only one!"

Grinning Ruby spun on her heel and ran over to the window, staring out at the land far below, and the academy fast approaching. ' _I wonder what she's like when she's in a smaller group… maybe I can help her! I'm not great with crowds either._ '

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

"I can't believe you did that Ms Glynda…" Shio murmured as she sat in the corner, staring at the wall. "They all think I'm weird now." She was making small circles in the telecommunications room in Beacon Tower. She was surrounded by terminals and desktops, all of them running smoothly making a faint glow in the centre of the dim room.

"Well, I never said we were done filming so you can't really blame this on me." Glynda shrugged as she pulled out her scroll and dialed Ozpin's number.

" _Hello. That was quite the introduction little Shio gave"_ Both Shio and Glynda could feel the smirk on Ozpin's face.

"SHUT UP!" Hopping to her feet, Shio made her way over to Glynda and tugged lightly on her arm. "You two are really mean… just let me forget about it already."

" _As you wish Ms Shio. Now, I must ask why you contacted me Glynda?"_ Switching subjects in seconds, Ozpin let Shio collect herself and questioned his partner.

"Ah, yes. It concerning Shios enrolment in Beacon."

" _What about it?"_

"I don't think that she should participate in the initiation test." Glynda's voice was firm as she spoke, making Shio glance up at her. "I don't doubt that she'd be safe, however I don't think the freshmen will understand why a child can kill a Grimm without a weapon."

" _I see. Well, I suppose we can provide her with a weapon."_

"Uhm… I alr _-" Shio was cut off by Glynda._

"No, I don't want her using something she isn't comfortable with. She could get hurt."

" _Well, we could say she's a second year._ "

"She doesn't even know basic Remnant geography. How can we pass her off as an eighteen year old girl?"

"I don't need a ne-"

" _Shio? Are you trying to say something? Speak up._ " Once again, Shio was cut off. Though at least this time she was given a window to voice her thoughts.

"I already have a weapon! I don't need you to give me one." Shio snapped, trying to get it all out in case somebody cut her off again.

" _Then why didn't you use it back in the forest?"_ Ozpin's words were dripping with skepticism, and Glynda had narrowed her eyes while looking down at the young Aragami girl.

' _She didn't use it against the Kongou either… why?'_ As if reading her thoughts, Shio revealed her reasons.

"I never used it because the Grimm don't need to be killed with something the deadly. I used it once and the Grimm didn't die, it kind of mutated."

" _!"_ Ozpin let out a quiet gasp as he remembered the Grimm that the extraction team had brought in. " _Shio, can you tell me what your weapon does exactly?"_

"Sure! She devours whatever I slice!" The smile and cheer in her voice only concerned the two veteran hunters further "When I cut the Grimm I two, she tried to devour it but I stopped her. Some of her… oracle cells were left behind. They probably began to eat away at the Grimm putting it through a great deal of pain."

" _Can these Oracle cells be removed?"_

"Uhmm… unless what they're attached to is removed, no."

" _That explains a lot. So that Beowulf wasn't cannibalistic, it was trying to get rid of the invasive cells on its flesh"_

Shio flinched at the word and looked down before forcing herself to smile. "This means I can participate in the test right?"

" _... If you make sure that your weapon kills the Grimm, then yes."_

"Yay! Thank you Mr Ozpin!" Gleefully, Shio walked passed Glynda and leaned up against one of the terminals watching at Glynda and Ozpin spoke.

" _Dammit Old Man! She doesn't deserve this!"_

"That sounded like Soma…!"

" _Relax my son, this girl's sacrifice will bring about the end of all Aragami. It wi-"_

" _Shut the hell up! I don't care what you believe, she isn't doing this. I won't let you use her like this!"_

"Stop it.. Please don't argue over me." Sliding down the side of the terminal, Shio gripped her arms as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Just be happy."

" _Why must you be so blind? Her death means our life!"_

" _Her death means your death Old Man…"_

" _Then by all means… kill me."_

" _SHIO!"_

"NOOO!" Shio screamed as he squeezed her eyes shut, an all too familiar pain wracking her body. The pain she felt when she was used on Aegis Island. The pain her friends felt, Sakuya, Alisa, Kota, the Captain and… Soma. Tears stung the young girl's eyes as she was forced to relive the last moments she spent among the people she knew and loved.

Everything was distant, sounds were muffled and everything felt numb. However, she did feel the hand that reached out and took hold of her. Shios eyes shot open and her head came up. She saw Glynda, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Soma…!"

Reaching out, Shio latched onto Glynda and buried her head in her chest. "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you! I didn't mean to hurt any of you!" She apologized to no one as she hugged the teacher in front of her.

"Shio! What's wrong? Who did you hurt?" Concerned, Glynda carefully rubbed the young girl's back, her quiet sobbing catching the attention of some of the workers and senior students in the comms room.

"All of them! I made them sad, and I left them behind!" Pulling away, Shio stared into Glynda's eyes, her own blood shot and tear filled. "I took advantage of the love they showed me, I-"

"Shhh."

"Huh…?"

"Just breath Shio. Whatever happened, is in the past. You're in the present, so you need to think about it that way. Whoever you hurt must have gotten over it by now, or at least learned to cope." Glynda squeezed the young girl's shoulders before standing up and pulling Shio to her feet. "Let's go okay? We're going back to my place now so you can rest up. You have the big test tomorrow so you need your sleep."

"But-"

"But nothing! You're in my care, which means i'm responsible for your health right now. My world is _law_ , understood?"

"Mhmm…" Shio nodded slowly and followed behind Glynda once she started to make her way to the elevator.

' _This isn't good… What if one of this meltdowns turn violent? None of the students would be able to handle her, except maybe the third years. We need to find the root of this problem, and it needs to be found_ immediately _.'_ Narrowing her eyes, Glynda all but glared at the poor second year who was unfortunate enough to get off the elevator as her and Shio got on.

The elevator rang out and began to move down towards the base of the tower.

 _Ozpin's office, Beacon Academy_

The docking airship made the headmaster sigh. Too much was going on at the same time. Hopefully, he could learn a bit more about Shio soon. Putting his mug down, Ozpin stood up and grabbed his cane before slowly walking towards the door of his office.

"Glynda should be making her way to the auditorium now. According to Glynda, Shio had a meltdown for some reason in the comms room. I'll ask Glynda if Shio said anything else." Getting on the elevator, he pressed the button that would take him down to the main floor. It took no time to reach the first floor. Looking up, Ozpin watched the doors open before stepping out into the light. Swinging his cane idly in his hand. The bespectacled man made his was out of the main building and began his small trek over to the auditorium just around the corner.

He greeted many students with a small smile as he passed by them, but he was anything but happy. He was concerned about how the freshmen would do, about how Shio was feeling, about how she got into Remnant. Shaking his head, Ozpin sighed and pushed open the staff entrance door to the auditorium walking inside.

Glynda's voice rang out through the loudspeakers just as the door closed behind him "Now, Headmaster Ozpin would like a few words." Smirking at his impeccable timing, he picked up the pace and made his way on stage.

"Good Morning, future students of Beacon." Ozpin raised his hand in greeting, eliciting a cheer from the hundreds of students in front of him. "I had a speech prepared for today, however recent events have changed my mind."

Losing his smirk, Ozpin dropped his hand and sighed. "None of you are ready for what's in the shadows. Even us veteran hunters can't stand against what's really out there, but that doesn't mean we don't stand a chance. We stood against the initial onslaught that the Grimm, and we survived. Now the Grimm are mutating, adapting, getting more intelligent as the days go by. This school has lost its value as a place to train huntsman and huntress, but it has become a place to train survivors. We will teach you the basics of survival, and you will grow into Remnants first line of defence, one that even the Grimm will learn to fear. However it will be extremely dangerous, which is why all of you are going to be given a choice right now."

Ozpin paused, letting the students brace themselves "You can either leave now and find a new career path, or stay here and risk your life to cling to your dreams. Please think about this carefully, your answer could mean your life." Turning on his heel, Ozpin slowly walked off stage, leaving a confused Glynda and a crowd of dumbstruck students behind.

"Ahem! For those of you that decide to stay, please gather in the dancehall by nightfall, you will spend the night there until the test tomorrow. Have a good day." Glynda soon followed Ozpin offstage.

"Professor Ozpin! I think I speak for everyone when I say that we won't turn tail and run now. Not after getting accepted into Beacon. We all want to become Hunters, if we didn't then none of us would have even gotten on the airship. Hell, even vomit boy who puked on Blondies boots is here. We won't back down in the face of a little adversity!"

"Yeah!"

"Shut up vomit boy!" Yelled Yang as she glared at the unfortunate blonde teen who was subjected to the nickname.

"Okay…"

Ozpin chuckled before silently walking out of view with Glynda. Once they were out of sight, both adults let out an uncharacteristically heavy sigh. "I want to toughen them up in case… something rears it's ugly head here in Remnant."

"You mean the Aragami, right Ozpin?"

"Yes. I'm assuming that she showed you what I saw?" Glynda nodded making Ozpin grimace "If Shio found her way here so I don't doubt that other things from her world will too, and quite frankly, the Grimm are already tough enough to beat. That Aragami she showed us, the only thing I've seen stronger would be a Goliath, but even they aren't as deadly."

"That's why you're trying to weed out the students who don't want to go all the way?"

"Exactly. We may never be prepared for the Aragami, so if those kids want a peaceful life they shouldn't look for it here. Not when there are quite possibly two wars on their way now. You should get back to Shio, just for tonight I want her with the other students."

"But what about her mental state?"

"She'll be fine just get her there for me, okay?"

"Of course Ozpin." Glynda nodded in defeat, prompting Ozpin to smirk and walk through the door, leaving the auditorium. "I hope she gets along with the students alright…"

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

 _Beacons dancehall , later that night_

"So, you understand that it's just a sleep over right Shio?"

"Yes Ms Glynda, but… will I be okay?"

"You'll be fine, now go!" Glynda pushed Shio lightly, making the young girl stumble into the room.

"Mmmm…" Shio looked around warily before turning around and walking towards the door only for Glynda to close and lock it in front of her. "grrr… Fine!" Puffing her cheeks out, Shio spun away from the door and slowly walked further into the dancehall .

"Is that…"

"It is! It's the school's mascot!"

"Do you think she's nice?"

"Mmmn… shut up…!" Shio murmured as she kept her eyes on the ground, to scared to look up at anybody. If she hadn't of been staring at the floor, she wouldn't have bumped into a certain scythe wielding teen. "Umph!"

"Hmm? Oh! It's you!"

Rubbing her forehead tenderly, Shio slowly peeked up and met a pair of silver eyes. "Oh! I-I'm so sorry!"

"Huh? Oh, no don't be! I'm not angry. I just wanted to say hi! I'm Ruby!"

Shio blinked several times before smiling at the teen "I'm Shio, it's nice to meet you Ruby!"

Ruby had changed out of her day clothes and into a black tank top with a heart shaped design and a pair of white pants with a rose pattern. "Likewise Shio! Oh, this is my sister, Yang." Ruby pointed down at the blonde teen, who just raised her hand in a silent greeting.

She too, changed out of her day clothes for pajamas. Hers consisted of a orange tank top with a flame emblem on the front and black boy shorts. "Yo! I saw you on the ship, you're not really good with people are you?"

"Uh-uh… Where I come from people were never in a group of more than four to six people, so if there are ever more than that I get really nervous."

"It's okay Shio! I'm not really great with people either." Ruby smiled as she pointed to herself.

"But… you're speaking to me pretty easily?"

Blushing faintly, Ruby chuckled "Well, it's because you're kinda like me. We're the same you know? It's like, we're both aliens surrounded by normal people haha… ha.. I'll stop."

' _You're a monster, just like me Shio. That's why I refuse to let anything happen to you. We are the same, just monsters surrounding normal humans._ '

"Soma…"

"Soma?" Ruby chirped, pulling Shio from her thoughts "Is he a friend of yours?"

"Yeah… He is a really good friend." Shio looked away, making both of the sisters frown slightly. Just as she started zoning out, Shio was pulled into a tight hug by Yang.

"MMPH!" The young girl flailed about as her face was shoved into Yang's chest.

"God you're so cute! You've even got a little crush! So tell me, how old is this Soma? Twelve, Thirteen? Or is he older… oh! Is he _Fifteen_?"

"Yang! Don't force her to talk about that stuff! It obviously upsets her!" Ruby exclaimed, staring at Yang who was about to defend herself before Shio pushed her way out of Yang's mountainous chest.

"Soma is… eighteen."

"Eighteen? He's older than me?" Yang was astonished, but that didn't stop her from smirking "Oooo! How scandalous!"

"Eh…? Is it really that bad?!" Shio cried out, her cheeks turning a bright shade red.

"Not at all, because one you're sixteen, it'll be normal!" Yang smiled at the younger girl, making her let out a sigh of relief. "Right Ruby?" Looking up, both Yang and Shio saw Ruby staring at a dark haired girl in the corner, reading a book by candle light. She was wearing a black yukata and had a black bow on top of her head.

"She was there this morning! She saved me from that crabby heiress!"

"Then go thank her! Right Shio?" Once again, Yang was ignored. Getting irritated, Yang glanced at where Shio was, only to see nothing. She had her arms wrapped around air. "What the- Where did she go? When did she go there?!" Yang asked no one in particular before she watched Ruby move towards the dark haired girl. "You're not ditching me too! Hold up!" Scrambling to her feet, Yang jogged a bit to catch up with her sister. Both teens saw Shio approaching the seemingly reclusive teens. "So that's where she went…"

"Shh! I wanna hear!" Ruby shushed her sister, earning a glare before Yang complied, falling silent as the two of them slowly followed the pale girl.

"Uhm, excuse me?"

"Yes?" The dark-haired teen replied without taking her eyes off the page if her book.

"Why do you hide them?"

"..." Slowly looking up, the girl narrowed her eyes before closing her book with a resounding _clap_. "You shouldn't pry into other people's private lives, it's rude"

"Well, you shouldn't ignore others when they're talking to you. It's rude." Shio shot back, making the dark haired girls eyebrow twitch slightly. "I'm Shio."

"Blake…"

"See? Being friendly isn't hard!" Shio grinned at Blake, who just stared at the other girl. "What is it?"

"You're a bit odd kid, most people would leave someone whose reading, alone."

"Hey!"

"Hi…"

The two sisters that were eavesdropping slowly approaching the pair, resulting in a sigh from Blake. "Nevermind, I guess I'm in the minority then."

"Guess so Ms Blake!" Shio chirped, before looking at the book in the Blake's hand.

"So I'm Yang, and this is my little sister Ruby! It's nice to meet you!"

"Yeah! Sorry for bugging you…" Ruby apologized as she rubbed the back of her head shyly. "I just uhm… wanted to say thanks for this morning. I thought that girl was going to bite my head off."

"Well, she was out of line. I just did what anybody should've done." Blake shrugged, not really seeing the point in Ruby apologizing.

"Hehe… I guess you're right!"

"..."

"... So whatcha reading there Blakey?" Yang questioned, trying to get the conversation moving again.

"A book."

"R-Really? I had no idea…" Yang deadpanned before Ruby stepped up.

"Erm, what's it about?" Shrinking under Blake's gaze, laughing nervously.

"It's about a man with two souls, each one fighting for control over the other." She was pleasantly surprised by Ruby's curiosity

"Talk about a split personality…" Yang deadpanned, getting a slow nod from Shio as Blake and Ruby spoke

"That reminds me of the fairy tales that Yang used to read to me, they are one of the things that inspired me to become a hunter. I want to be a hero."

"Don't we all? Everyone wants to be a hero, fall in love and save the world. But the harsh reality, is that most people die before that time, this goes double for hunters." Blake stared into Ruby's silver eyes, testing her resolve.

"That may be true, but you can't be a hero if you run from your path. The only way to save somebody is to take the first step into danger, instead of hesitating."

"Impressive, Kid" Blake smiled warmly "Not many kids your age would say something so mature. If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to be a huntress?" Turning her attention to Yang, Blake saw the blonde teen shrug.

"Don't know. It seems like it'd be fun I guess. I don't have any noble aspirations like my baby sister." Yang chuckled softly making Blake shake her head.

"And you? You're even younger than Ruby, but you're here so you must have some special hopes, right?"

"Nuh-uh, I'm only here because Mr Ozpin asked if I wanted to attend school. I said yes because id never been to school before." Shio smiled, before adopting a look of confusion when the three teens around her stared at her.

"You don't wanna be a huntress?"

"Not really, but fighting is fun so I don't mind being one."

"YES!" Yang cheered and held her hand out, Shio giggling before hitting her hand off of Yang's the two girls hi-fiving. "See? Being here for fun isn't bad!"

"May-" Whatever Blake was about to say was cut off by a new, shrill voice belonging to one Weiss Schnee. The pale, white haired teen was glaring at the group of four, her icy blue eyes were furious.

"People are trying to sleep! If you want to talk _please_ keep it to a dull roar, or better yet, just go to bed!" Weiss was wearing a faded light blue sleeping gown with short sleeves and white trimmings.

"Right. Sorry." Blake muttered before nodding to the other three girls and blowing out the nearby candle, effectively eliminating all the light. The two sisters and Weiss wandered away, feeling their way back to their sleeping bags. However, both Shio and Blake were still staring at each other. Gold eyes locked with amber.

"The longer you hide it, the worse it'll be when it all comes to light Ms Blake. Please keep that in mind, I'd hate to see you get hurt." Shio whispered as she spun on her heel, a trail of gold light following her spin. "But you'll be fine right? I mean, cats always land on their feet right Blake?"

"How?" Unnerved, Blake stared at Shio's retreating form. ' _I'll squeeze it out of her tomorrow. But for night, I'll let it go.'_ Laying down, Blake shut her eyes and curled up under her blanket, as did everyone else in the dancehall aside from Shio.

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

"Ahhhhnnn~" Yang yawned as she sat up, stretching slightly "That was a good sleep." Rubbing her eyes, the busty blonde slowly standing up. Looking around, she couldn't see anybody else awake yet. "Guess I'm alone for a bit."

Scratching her hip, Yang picked up her bag and began making her way the change room in the dancehall . "I wonder what the test will be like today. I hope I get to fight something strong, or fast. Ooo, how about something strong _and_ fast!" Nodding to herself, Yang grinned "and Uncle Qrow said I never use my head. Ha!" Turning the knob on the door, Yang disappeared behind the thin wooden door.

As it clicked shut behind her, eyes opened up one by one throughout the dancehall. Students yawned and stretched before standing up and going through the same motions Yang did. All except Shio, who was sitting on a windowsill in the corner staring out the window. "Mmm… it's been awhile since I last ate. Maybe I should use the test to my advantage today." Smiling, the golden-eyed girl pressed her palm into the window, watching the senior students rush to their classes below. ' _So this is what a school feels like huh? I like it'_

"Shio! Stop zoning out and get a move on or you'll miss the test!" Glancing over her shoulder, Shio saw Ruby and Yang waving her over. "Come onnnn!" Ruby called out again, making the young teen giggle.

"Coming!" Hopping off the windowsill, Shio strode over to the two sisters smiling at them. "Let's g-AH!" Shio yelped as she was lifted into the air and dropped on Yangs shoulders. "What are you doing…?"

"Well you just looked so light, I wanted to check! That and I haven't done this to anyone since Ruby was little, it makes me all nostalgic." Yang said as she looked up at Shio, wearing a toothy grin. "Ya don't mind right kiddo?"

"Mm-Mm, not at all." Shio smiled down at the blonde teen before they began to make their way out of the dancehall.

"Sooo Shio," Ruby began, getting the young girl's attention "What kind of weapon do you use?"

"Actually, I was kinda wondering that too."

Faced with the curious look of both siblings, Shio blushed light and shook her head. "You'll see it today. I don't like bringing her out in public, it's dangerous."

"AHH! You're so responsible!" Ruby exclaimed, frowning at the younger girl. "You better reveal her in some cool, epic way. Deal?"

' _I wouldn't say I'm responsible… more like worried.'_ Shio remarked in her head before nodding at Ruby "Deal."

As the three girls stepped out into the cool morning air, Shio winced. The bright sun shining right in her eyes. "Ennn…."

Glancing up, Yang chuckled before pulling out a pair of black sunglasses and handing them to Shio "Not used to the sun, hey?" A small head shake was all Yang needed "I could tell as soon as I saw how pale you are, just put those sunglasses on. They'll help stop the glare."

"You're acting like a big sister again, I like it." Ruby whispered making Yang push her away gently.

"I always act like a big sister! It's just you're getting to the age where you don't notice anymore."

"Uh-huhhh, whatever you say Yang." Grinning, Ruby rolled her eyes at her elder sister in a playful manner, to which Yang responded by sticking her tongue out.

"You two sure are lively this morning…"

"Ah! Blake!" Ruby grinned as she waved at the older girl excitedly making her raise a brow in amusement.

"Morning Ruby."

"Hey Kit- Ms Blake!" Shio shrunk back under Blake's glare. She almost messed up, really bad.

"Shio. Yang." Blake nodded in greeting, which Yang returned. Now that they were in the light, Shio could see Blake better.

She could see light purple eyeshadow flaring backwards, complementing her amber eyes. Gone was her yukata, replaced with a black buttoned vest, overtop a sleeveless white undershirt that exposes part of her midriff. She wore white shorts that had a zipper down the front of each leg, with stockings that start off black near her hips, gradually fading to purple as they neared her black low-heeled boots. There was a black detached scarf around her neck and a metal plate strapped to her back, holding what Shio assumed to be her weapon.

"Well, let's get going! We don't wanna get left behind!" Ruby exclaimed before she broke off into a run, following after the large crowd of students. Both Yang and Blake shook their head in amusement before following after Ruby, the former making sure to hold on to Shio to prevent her from falling.

The group of four girls made their way to the edge of Beacon's Campus, where they found Glynda and Ozpin standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the emerald forest. "We're here!" Ruby cheered as she spun on her heel to look at the three girls behind her.

"Yes we are."

"Barely." From behind Ruby, another girl spoke up. "You made it here by the skin of your teeth."

Weiss Schnee, the girl in blue from last night. Today she had her snow white hair pulled back into an off-centre ponytail. She wore a pale blue bolero jacket over a similarly coloured thigh length dress that had a piece of black lace as the neckline. The back of her jacket bears her family's crest, somewhat resembling a snowflake. She has a apple-shaped necklace along with thin, rectangular earrings. There is a small ribbon wrapped around her waist, with a pouch attached on the back, her rapier rested in its sheath on her hip. She is also wearing white heeled-wedge boots that reach her mid-calf.

"Oh great… You." Yang muttered as she stared at the heiress who just shrugged before noticing the lack of weapons on Yangs and Ruby's person.

"Don't tell me that you forgot your weapons back in the dancehall, it's pretty hard to miss _all_ the students grabbing their weapons at the same time."

"What?! Nooo… of course we didn't haha… ha.. yeah." Ruby rubbed the back of her head embarrassedly.

"Good! Well at least you're not complete idiots then. Colour me impressed." Turning on the spot, Weiss began walking away, disappearing in the crowd.

"Well she's frosty…"

"Yang, really?" Ruby deadpanned as her sister put Shio on the ground beside her.

"What?! That wasn't even a pun!"

"Whatever you say, anyways I'll go grab our weapons. You guys wait here." Turning towards the direction of the dancehall, Ruby closed her eyes before almost flying forward. She was back in seconds, brandishing a large red scythe and carrying two golden gauntlets that she tossed to Yang.

"Thanks sis!" Pulling the gauntlets over her hands, Yang hit her fists together before glancing at Shio. "So umm, not gonna show us your weapon?"

"I promised Ruby that it'd be cool when I revealed her, would it be really cool if it I showed you guys now?" Shio asked, tilting her head to the side.

"N-No, I guess not."

The four girls shared some idle chat, though it was mostly Ruby and Shio talking. After a few long moments, Glynda walked away from Ozpin and got everyone's attention.

"Good Morning! We're running short on time so I will keep the explanation short and sweet. Your objective is to make it to the abandoned temple in the forest and retrieve one of the many chess pieces there. Once you have accomplished that, you will return. Any questions? No? Good. Next, you will all be getting your partners today." A wave of excited whispers washed over the crowd, everyone save for Ruby was excited.

' _Please let it be Yang, or even Shio. Wait, can Shio even fight? There's that Jaune guy, the one that threw up on Yang's boots, he's nice but doesn't seem very tough. Blake and Weiss seem really distant so I don't think they would work out either. Yang it is then!'_ Ruby thought to herself, missing the latter half of Glynda's explanation.

"Very well! Now, all of you please step onto one of the platforms."

"Huh? What's happening?" Ruby asked in a hushed whisper.

"Were getting on these silver pads. Your partner is the first person you see. The staff won't help us and we have a full day to do it." Yang rhymed off the basics of Glynda's explanation making Ruby sigh in relief as she stepped on one of the platforms. To her left was Yang, and beside her was Blake. Further down the line was Weiss and beside her was Jaune. To her right, and on the first platform was Shio.

"Okay, you will now be launched into the forest. Good luck."

"W-Wait, Professor Goodwitch! I don't think I got my parachute!" The blonde boy known as Jaune called out, his voice full of anxiousness.

"We didn't hand any out Mr Arc. You will be using your own landing strategy." Ozpin spoke up as he changed some settings on his scroll before walking up to Shio. "Remember our deal, good luck Ms Shio."

Before Shio could respond, a loud snap filled the air and she shot high into the sky. "KYAAAAA!" Shio screamed as the trees just kept getting smaller and smaller. Ozpin and the others weren't even visible from this height.

Back on the cliff side, Glynda flinched as she watched Shio fly further and further away. Soon enough, the other students followed suit however none of them went nearly as high or fast. "That was a bit excessive Ozpin. She may not be human but still…"

"She'll land in a lake, my calculations aren't wrong. Besides, I made sure that she'd land as close to the temple as possible. I don't want her out there alone for too long, she enjoys fighting the Grimm far too much." Ozpin watched as the only student in the sky began to plummet towards the land below. "She will be fine Glynda."

 _Somewhere in the Emerald Forest, Vale_

"Yang. Gotta find Yang!" Ruby was sprinting through the woods, her semblance making her little more than a blur as she searched for her sister.

She shot by trees and bushes, not paying attention to her surroundings. In an instant, she was stopped dead in her tracks, well, more like knocked to the ground. Ruby had collided with something, sending her tumbling to the grassy terrain. "Owww… my head…." Ruby groaned as she sat up, cradling the side of her head tenderly.

"Watch where you're going you dolt!" The insult came from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Ruby's silver eyes locked with the pale blue of Weiss Schnee. Both girls felt their hearts sink.

"No…"

"Way…"

A heavy silence settled between the two girls, neither one knowing exactly what they were supposed to say.

"So, we're just going to pretend that we didn't see each other." The heiress stood up and dusted off her knees. "Okay, see you around Ruby." Weiss began walking into the forest, away from Ruby.

"H-Hey wait! Get back here!" Ruby exclaimed as she grabbed her Crescent Rose, her scythe, and ran after Weiss. "We're partners now, right…?"

"We are not friends, nor are we acquaintances. Am I clear?"

"Crystal!"

"Haa, fine. Come on Ruby." Weiss motioned for the caped teen to follow her as she drew her rapier, Myrtenaster. "Don't act rashly understood? I may not like you, but that doesn't mean I want to see you get hurt."

"Aww, Weiss…" Ruby cooed as she inched up closer to her new partner, making her blush slightly.

"I will freeze you."

"I'll stop." Ruby backed off and looked straight ahead. The two girls shared a comfortable silence before they began to feel eyes on them, lots and lots of eyes. "Uhmm… Weiss? We've got a problem."

"I hadn't noticed." Weiss muttered sarcastically as she and Ruby stood back to back, watching as Beowulf after Beowulf stalked out of the bushes. The pack numbered in the twenties, heavily outnumbering the two teens. "I say we run."

"I say we fight. They'll just chase us if we run." Ruby countered as she held Crescent Rose in front of her, aiming the blood red scythe at the encroaching Grimm.

"Fine, but be careful."

There was no response as Ruby rushed towards the first Beowulf, leaping up above it. The Grimm swiped at the teen, only to let out a howl of pain as the edge of Crescent Rose bit into its arm before severing at at the elbow. Ruby landed with a soft thumb before spinning Crescent over her head and swinging it down diagonally in front of her.

The Beowulf cried out before bursting into a pile of ash. "One down!" Ruby called out as she jumped out of the way of a pouncing Beowulf. Before her feet touched the ground, Ruby triggered her scythes transformation turning it into a high-impact sniper rifle. Taking aim, she pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet tore clean through the skull of the Grimm and connect with another's throat. They both turned to ash, making Ruby smile. "and that's three. What are you at Weiss?"

"Seven!" Weiss called out as she stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and focused her aura. Soon, a large white glyph formed beneath her feet just as four Beowulf's rushed her. Weiss stood still for long and dangerous second before jumping backwards, out of the glyphs just as the four Grimm landed on it. There was a flash of white light before the Grimm were frozen solid. "Sorry, make that eleven." Turning to Ruby, Weiss smirked as the four frozen Grimm fractured and shattered.

"Show off…" Ruby muttered before grinning. ' _Fine. I can be cool too.'_ Changing her Sniper back into a scythe, Ruby activated her semblance before running around the remaining Grimm, Crescent Rose rending their flesh every time she passed one. Some were losing limbs while other were sliced completely in half. As Beowulf after Beowulf turned to ash, Ruby stopped right beside Weiss and transformed Cresent into a gun once again, shooting a Beowulf directly behind Weiss, making the heiress flinch. "Sorry, I meant fourteen."

Weiss narrowed her eyes before offering a small smile. "Not bad Ruby, not bad at all."

"Yes!" Ruby cheered as her weapon reverted to its usual state before the two girls began walking out of the clearing, leaving behind piles of ash.

"I still don't like you"

"Aww…"

 _A mile east of Ruby's location, Emerald Forest._

"So… I guess we're partners hey Blake?"

"I guess we are, well then I guess it's nice to formally meet you. I'm Blake Belladonna." The dark haired girl stuck her hand out, waiting for Yang to do the same.

"Yang Xiao Long, nice to formally meet you too Blake!" The two teen shared a short handshake before turning towards the woods in front of them. "Let's get a move on, I wanna get those chess pieces before anyone else!"

Jabbing her fist out in front of her, Yang pointed into the woods where she intended to go. "It's this way Yang…" Blake called out over her shoulder as she wandered through the bushes, leaving a flustered Yang behind.

"I-I knew that! I was testing ya, that's all!" Yang laughed nervously as she spun on her heel and followed Blake, pushing the overgrown greenery out of her path.

The two girls walked in silence, the air between them was tense and heavy. Yang could tell that there was a question on Blake's mind, one that she wanted to ask but something seemed to be stopping her from doing just that.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Yang stopped walking and leaned against a tree, eyeing the girl in black. "What is it? You'll never get your answer if you don't ask."

"..." Blake stopped walking and glanced over her shoulder, meeting Yang's eyes. "Who is Shio?

"A kid with white hair, gold eyes and pale skin. She's a soon to be Beacon student and seems to be stuck between acting like a child and acting like a full grown woman. She can also be very blunt when she needs to be. The last part is mostly just me guessing, but I don't doubt it to be true."

"I know all that, but I mean _who_ is she? The admission for Beacon is seventeen. It's astounding that your sister made it in at fifteen, but Shio? I find her admission to be a bit more… fake. Like she's only here just to be here, she doesn't even want to be a huntress. Even you aspire to be a huntress for the fun of it, so what is her deal?" Blake turned around completely so that she was facing her new partner, narrowing her eyes as she spoke "She is sharp, calculating and deadly. Even if she doesn't show it."

"That's none of our business. If Shio wants us to know about her, then we'll find out. We won't get anywhere by snooping around or investigating." Standing up, Yang walked away from the tree and stood beside Blake facing the opposite way. "The only thing we'll get is on her bad side, and according to you, that wouldn't be good." Blake felt Yang's hand land on her shoulder as well as the blonde teen glare "So drop it."

"Why are you so protective? You don't even know her."

"Hmm… call it sisterly instinct. She reminds me of Ruby when she was a little girl, so I just feel like I _have_ to protect her. It's nothing against you, honestly."

"Sisterly instinct is it? Well, I guess I won't be getting anything out of you even if you did know, I'll just have to get it from Shio herself." Blake turned on the spot and walked further into the forest "That way you wouldn't be going against your sisterly instinct, right?"

"Ohhhh, I like you haha!" Yang cheered before following after Blake, the two teens disappearing in the darkness of the Emerald Forest.

 _Ursa den, Emerald Forest, Vale._

" **GRAHHHGHH!** " An Ursa Major roared in frustration as it tore through the forest, knocking dead trees out of its way. It tore up the soft ground beneath its paws, sending grass and earth up into the air.

"NORA! LET GO!" A man named Ren yelled as he leapt from branch to branch, the thin wood snapping under the force and momentum of his jumps.

As he jumps into the air, a gust of wind blew separating the leaves and branches of the trees letting in the bright daytime sunlight. As the rays washed over his body, he narrowed his magenta eyes. His long black ponytail being swept up in the air being him, his loose hair was being swept out to the sides of his face making the magenta on the left side of his hair more prominent.

He wore a dark green, long-sleeved, diagonally-buttoned tailcoat with black and gold trimmings and pink cuffs. Underneath he wears a black long-sleeved shirt and tan pants with black shoes. "Tch… I can't shoot it, she's too close."

Looking down, he watched his orange-haired partner ride the back of a furious Ursa Major while swinging her hammer around in the air "YEE-HAAW!" She exclaimed as the Grimm barreled through anything in its way while trying to throw the young huntress in training off it.

She wore a waist length, black collared vest with a white, sleeveless shirt that forms a heart shape in between her collarbone and her cleavage with a white detached sleeve on both arms. She also wore a pink skirt that starts at her waist and cuts off around her mid-thigh. She also sports black fingerless gloves and pink and white shoes as well as that begins around her shoulder and neck and ends by her waist. "I'm just having fun Ren! Come join me!" Nora yelled as she looked over her shoulder at her partner, meeting his magenta eyes with her own turquoise ones.

"That fun could get us both killed!" Leaping off another tree, Ren felt gravity take control and pull his body to the ground. Falling into a roll, he pressed his palms into the ground when his body was upside down before launching himself up into the air. Spinning, Ren landed on his feet before breaking off into a sprint, never taking his eyes off of Nora and the Ursa Major. ' _She'll be the death of me, so I just have to protect her until that day comes'_ With his mind set, Ren glared at the Ursa ahead of him and pulled his two sickle-like weapons out. ' _Even if I die before becoming a hunter, as long as she lives I can die fulfilled.'_

"Oh! We're almost out of the woods!"

 _Emerald Forest Riverside, Vale_

The crystal blue water reflected off of dark blue eyes, slightly hidden by a head of messy blonde hair. Jaune Arc, soon to be huntsmen in training stood by the rushing water as he waited for his partner. He wore a diamond shaped white chest plate and white spaulders. Underneath, he wears a black hoodie with detached reddish-orange sleeves. He also wears blue pants that have a white patch over the left knee and black sneakers.

Scratching his head, he feels his brown wrist length gloves rubbing against his scalp. Sure they were fingerless, but it still felt kind of awkward for him. Especially with the straps from his small metal gauntlets. They only covered the back of his hand but it helped when he was using his shield.

"Geez, how long will Pyrrha be? The temple is like five minutes away from here, we can get there first if she just hurried up."

"RUBY! DON'T BE STUPID!"

"Huh?" Glancing up, he saw a giant black crow, known as a nevermore flying overhead with two, well one, spec on its talons. The red spec was currently plummeting towards the earth far below. "Damn it! She'll catch up!" Cheering himself on, Jaune kicked off the ground into a sprint, only to feel his body slip and fall into the muddy ground underneath him. "Trying to sprint near a river wasn't my brightest idea… not at far" Embarrassed, he pushed himself off and jogged away from the river before sprinting towards the nevermore.

As he disappeared into the forest, the sound of snapping filled the air behind him. A red haired teen clad in bronze armor ran out our the bushes, followed by a giant scorpion known as a Death Stalker. The girl had her waist length red hair, tied into a ponytail that was curled into a loose ringlet. She has vivid green eyes and green eyeshadow around the upper corners of her eyes. She wore a light bronze v-neck underneath a light-brown, strapless top split that divides vertically along with a elastic, A-line black miniskirt and brown opera-length gloves on each arm. She also wears a ankle length drapery around her skirt.

Unlike most other girls, she also wears armor. In her case, she wears elaborate bronze greaves that start below mid-thigh continuing downward into her boots and a pair of cuisses that begin mid-thigh and end slightly below her knees. She also wears a bronze bracer on her left arm. Her high-heeled boots are brown with a bronze trim, matching her skirt and reaching her mid-calf. Accessory wise, she wears a bronze circlet headpiece that could be seen above her ear and under her bangs along with a pair of small, teardrop-shaped emeralds that hang from her circlet on thin chains. She also sports a large bronze gorget around her neck, and a bronze bracelet on the upper half of her left arm.

She carried a spear that she called Milo as she sprinted away from the massive Grimm. "That's Jaune! Why is he running?" A loud bang sounded out from behind her, as the death stalker slammed its tail into the ground trying to hit her. "Oh, that might explain it."

Chuckling lightly, the armoured teen followed Jaunes tracks into the forest. ' _I hope he's okay…'_ Concerned, Pyrrha pushed branches out of her way, all too aware of the Grimm that was quickly gaining on her. ' _This should buy me some time!_ ' Closing her eyes, Pyrrha held her left hand out behind her aimed at the Grimm. Soon enough, it froze in place struggling to move as the red-haired teen lengthened the distance between the two of them.

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

"Mmmm… I'm lost." Shio sat at the base of a giant tree and drew in the dirt with a stick. "I wish the Grimm were like Aragami, they didn't attack me on sight all the time." Leaning her head back, Shio stared up at the sky through the broken lenses of Yang's sunglasses.

Her mind drifted back to a time when she was alone, wandering the abandoned streets of her planet, _Earth_.

 _?, Earth._

The wind blew violent through the holes in the buildings around her as Shio walked barefoot across the hot sand. According to what she had heard in passing, these used to be called ' _streets'_ and the humans used to walk and drive around them. It took the young girl a while to figure out what drive meant, and when she did she wanted to try it as soon as possible.

That's why she was sneaking around right now. Her best shot would be an Orgetail, they would put up the least resistance due to their difference in power. Shio had to suppress a gasp as she laid eyes on her 'prey'.

It stood alone in the centre of a large city square. It had two thick black legs and a long upper body covered in tan fur. It's head was covered in a silver ogre-like mask that had two silver teeth protruding from its bottom jaw and two small slits surrounding its yellow eyes. It's actual mouth was hidden behind the mask and only revealed itself when the creature roared or was on guard, exposing two large rows of small bug extremely sharp teeth. It had a giant tail that ended off in the same silver material as its mask. It's tail as two series of small spikes protruding off the back with a much longer and slightly curved spike in the middle. It also had two sets of curved spikes on the sides of its tail that seemed to be part of some design resembling a featureless ogre mask. This was a normal Ogretail, a small-sized Aragami that while boasting an extremely high population, posed little-no threat to veteran God Eaters.

' _Okay… One,'_ Smiling to herself, Shio slowly stalked up behind the Ogretail, waiting for her chance. ' _Two…'_ It's tail swung down, swatting away some flies making Shio's eyes widen. ' _Three!'_ She cheered in her head she she jump up and landed on the Ogretails back, leaning down and wrapping her arms around it's neck to hold on. "Go forward!" She exclaimed as she buried her face into its warm fur.

" **Graa…?** " The Ogretail stumbled forward with the added weight, letting out a confused grumble before registering what happened. Rage flooded its body and the Aragami took off in a mad-dash. " **RAAAAAAA!** " It spun in circles and ran in and out of the building surrounding the square, trying to shake the intruder off its back.

"Hahaha! Faster, Go faster!" Shio cheered as her lower body lifted off the monster, seeming floating in the air due to the speeds that the Ogretail was running at. "Yeah! This is fun~ hehe!"

" **NGRAAA!** " Giving up its resistance, it dug its two powerful legs into the ground and seemingly drifted to a stop, kicking up a giant cloud of sand.

"Ahh-haha!" Shio coughed and laughed at the same time before the Ogretail started running forwards, breaking out of the cloud of sand dragging some of it with it due to the wind. As Shio's eyes adjusted, they widened in shock. "W-Woah… that's a long drop…" she muttered as the Aragami barrelled toward the edge of a cliff that once supported skyscrapers and malls. As it neared the edge, it let out a victorious roar.

" **GRAA-Aaa…?** " Until the weight on its back disappeared. Shio had simply let go and jumped off, landing on the very edge of the cliff leaning over it, balancing on one foot. Her arms were spread out and she was swinging them wilding while trying to maintain her balance. Meanwhile, the Ogretail had spun around and flipped onto its back in mid air, its legs and tail being dragged up by the wind as it stared at the unbalanced Aragami girl. It's eyes were wide and it's legs were kicking about as if it were trying to run back up the cliff. " **RAAAAAaaaaaaaa-!** " It let out a loud roar of fear that got steadily quieter the further it got, the sound was gone all together once it was replaced by a loud _**splat**_ signaling the creature's sudden stop at the land far below.

"Muuu~ You're no fun, trying to kill me. Did you hate it that much?" Shio muttered as she stared down at the bloody mess that was the Ogretail before puffing her cheeks out and spinning around. "Haaa… fine. I'll just go be alone again…"

The young Aragami girl slowly sulked into one of the nearby buildings before sitting down in a comer and dragging her knees into her chest. "I'm bored…"

 _?, Emerald Forest, Vale._

"Now that I really think about it… maybe I should've tried something like that again." Shio mused as she stood up, walking away from the tree that was providing her shelter. "Maybe it was just having a bad day." Nodding to herself, the young girl was about to hop down a large cliff to the rocky landing below when she heard a familiar voice scream.

"RUBY! RUN!"

' _Ms Yang…?'_

Turning away from the ridge, Shio broke into a furious sprint in the direction of Yang's panicked shout. Her heartbeat rang out chest, threatening to beat out of her body. Her golden eyes were unblinking as countless low-hanging branches lashed against her body, scratching her skin and tearing her dress. Her breathing was as erratic as her path, if she was being tracked, it would be a nightmare to follow her.

"GET AWAY FROM IT! IT'LL KILL YOU! RUBY!" Yang's voice was desperate and afraid for her sister's life, the loud screams of other filled Shio's mind, Blake, Weiss, and a few others that she didn't recognize. The she heard her, one of the girls that she considered to be a older sister back home.

" _SHIO! NOO!"_

' _Ms Alisa… I won't let Ms Yang go through the same pain that I'm sure you felt.'_ Narrowing her eyes, Shio glared at the faint outline of the giant scorpion like Grimm known as a Deathstalker. She barely saw Yang run for her sister alongside some other people as her petite body burst from the forest like a white bullet.

The deathstalker raised its stinger and aimed it at Ruby as another one of her attacks failed, her red scythe just bouncing off the Grimms hard exterior.

Shio stuck her hand out to the side and felt a familiar weight form in her small hand as she neared Ruby. ' _Leave her alone you Aragami-wannabe!'_ Screaming in her mind, Shio slid in front of the fallen Ruby and swiped her hand out.

" **GRAAAAAAA!** " The deathstalker let out a ear piercing shriek as half of its stinger went airborne, landing a fair ways behind Ruby and Shio.

In the young girl's hand was a pale white sword, easily two or three times her size. She was loosely holding onto a thin bar. Her hand was surrounded by a thick guard that almost formed a full circle around her hand. It had what looked like webbing attached to the small handle and the guard. The blade of the sword itself seemed to be a part of the guard as it began half-way down the guard and extended in a straight line that gained a slight curve at the tip. Along the length of the blade, it hollowed out in some sections while maintaining the same webbing that connect the handle to the guard, forming a realistic and deadly blade. On the top of the blade was a third section that began thin at the guard onto to thicken and expand near the tip, developing a perfect, circular hole. This too, was connected to the blade with webbing.

"I'm sorry… I know you like being a part of me, but I don't want these people to find out yet. It's too soon." Shio murmured to her weapon before shifting her attention to the Deathstalker, her soft gaze instantly hardened, becoming a cold, angry glare. Before any of the other girls, or the Deathstalker could react Shio launched herself forwards, a small dent in the ground where she once stood.

" **Raaaaa…!** " The Deathstalker let out a low growl before clicking its pincers together. It prepared to attack the human that interrupted its meal, only to see the pale girl appear right in front of its face. It tried to stumble back only to feel the long, white blade of her weapon pierce its shell at the end of its head. " **GRAHHHH!** "

Ignoring the Grimm's cry of pain, Shio let go of her weapon and jumped up onto the Deathstalkers head. Grabbing her weapon with both hands, Shio began to run along the body of the giant Grimm dragging her sword behind her. The sound of flesh tearing apart filled the air as Shio reached the end of the Deathstalkers body and jumped into the air, putting all her strength into swinging her sword from its sheath, which was the rear-end of the Deathstalker. Her body flipped in mid air before she landed beside the torso to the Grimm.

There was a moment of silence before the Deathstalker slowly peeled in two from the top of its head to the tip of its tail. It burst into ash seconds later, raining down the blackish gray substance around where it once stood. Shio swung her weapon behind her and used her free hand to grab the outermost section, using it as a handle. Smiling, she looked down at Ruby, who just gaped back as ash rained down around her, heavily contrasting with her pale appearance "So, was that a cool and epic enough reveal for you Ruby?" Shio asked as she tilted her head to the side.

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

"Ozpin, it seems that Shio just saved Ms Rose's life." Glynda pointed out as she wrote some details of the exchange on her clipboard.

"I saw." Ozpin muttered as he watched a replay of the brief, but brutal fight between the Deathstalker and Shio. ' _I can't even call that a fight, Shio slaughtered it.'_ Narrowing his eyes, he took a small sip from his cocoa and sighed. "Glynda?"

"What is it, Ozpin?" The blonde professor responded from behind the headmaster, making him glance over his shoulder.

"As much as I want her to attend this school, I don't know if I can trust her. We are both fully aware that she isn't human, however her weapon changes the game entirely."

"How so?"

"She was strong enough to toy with an Ursa Major, barehanded. I don't doubt that she can kill a Deathstalker barehanded either, so what worries me is how much deadlier she is with a weapon like that. She split it cleanly in half, in seconds." Closing his eyes, Ozpin rubbed his temples in a rare display of serious frustration. He was lost, sure he wanted this girl to be around good people, he wanted her to learn and grow, but could he risk his students for her?

"You can not take this opportunity from Shio. We both know how much she wants this." Glynda sighed as she watched Yang basically smother Shio in a hug while Ruby collected herself. "If she was a threat, then she wouldn't have used her weapon to save Ruby- no. She wouldn't have _saved_ Ruby." Looking down at her superior, she frowned as she caught his smirk. "She will attend this academy."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then I will pester you about allowing a fifteen year old amateur through our gates for the rest of your life. However, if you stick with the original plan, I'll drop my complaints." Glynda gave Ozpin an ultimatum, agree and rest or refuse and suffer.

"She can stay, to be completely honest I would have felt too bad tossing such a young girl out into the wild."

"Why? She wouldn't be in any serious danger…" Glynda asked making Ozpin laugh softly confusing her.

"I was talking about the Grimm, they may be mindless monsters, but she is far worse, it's almost cruel to train her to be a huntress." Ozpin smirked as he watched the group of nine run from the attacking Nevermore. "She is strong, intelligent, caring…" The group reached a bridge and split up, immediately devising a plan to take down the nevermore however Shio herself stayed back, watching everyone. As they were all focused on the Nevermore, none of them noticed the approaching Beowulf who fully ignored Shio and lunged at Weiss who had just launched Ruby into the air. "and extremely protective." As the Beowulf neared Weiss, she spun to defend herself only to see the Beowulf burst into a cloud of ash having been sliced in half by Shio.

"Do you think _she_ will try to get her?" Watched the fight on screen, Glynda voiced her concerns.

"Oh most definitely." Ozpin nodded seriously before watching the Nevermore get beheaded by Ruby. "And she will regret it entirely. Even if Beacon falls, even if I die, she will not prevail."

"How can you be so confident?"

"Shio showed you a fight with a monster known as a Kongou correct?" Glynda nodded silently, "She showed me a lesson, something taught to her by a man known as Dr. Sakaki. That lesson basically said that the Aragami were Gods given flesh, meaning that Shio is, technically speaking, a God who hunts other Gods for food and sport. Making her a much stronger ally than I could have ever hoped for."

"I see, however we mustn't forget that she is still a child and that means that while strong, she is reckless and childish." Glynda reached forward and turned off the projection as all nine participants made it back to the rendezvous point with their required items. "Now let's go and congratulate this years newest batch of huntsmen and huntresses in training."

"Believe me, I won't forget that Glynda." Standing up, Ozpin grabbed his staff and cocoa before walking around his desk and walking towards the door to his office with Glynda directly behind him. "Now, I must come up with a believable lie for why Shio won't be joining any team."

"Good luck with that."

The heavy door slammed shut behind the two professors as they made their way to the auditorium where they would give the final assembly for the freshman students before they became soon to be hunters and huntresses.

* * *

 **Thanks! Have a wonderful day!**


	3. The Calm Before The Storm Pt1

**Here's Chapter 3! Enjoy!**

 _ **Looking for a Beta**_

* * *

"A herd of Vajra has broken through the defenses outside the Wailing Plains. All God Eaters- _ **bzzzt**_ "

The thundering footsteps of four giant tiger-like beasts sounded off as they slowly approached the exit of the plains. The leader of the pack pressed its giant paw down into the damp ground, earning a series of loud crunches as the upper body of a God Eater was crushed under its weight, a spray of blood signaling his end. Moving on, the herd left the bloody lower-half of the human behind, a small radio crackling as it struggled to relay its message.

These monstrosities had a black upper body that was covered by a series of almost-impenetrable yellow protrusions coming from the back of its neck, forming a cape. It's long tail and heavy paws both shared the same color scheme, black and brown rings of fur along the entire limb. The upper half of its face was covered by a pale, bone-like mask that branched upwards before dividing left and right forming two antler-like objects that covered its exposed neck. It had two long teeth, resembling that of a saber tooth, however, it's left tooth was snapped, its chin sported an orangish-yellow fur that was usually dripping with blood.

Every one of them looked the same, this was a species of large-class Aragami, a Vajra. They are a ruthless and extremely mobile being, making it extremely dangerous in a fight.

"Disgusting. I know we have to be prepared for this, but that doesn't make it any less unsettling." A feminine voice sounded out from in front of the herd. The leader tilted its head up and snarled at the girl that stood above it.

She had unkempt gray hair that just passed her shoulders with warm blue eyes, she wore a beret with a black jacket that was only zipped half-closed exposing her toned stomach and a fair amount of her generous bust. In addition so also wore a red checkered skirt over top of black semi-opaque black tights and black thigh-length boots. Her skirt was held up by a single strap that rested over her right shoulder, while the other strap hung off of her thigh. She also wears black fingerless gloves, the left extending up to her elbow. Her boots also had a thin purple band around the top with five small buttons in a straight vertical line. In her hands, she carried a red long blade that had a red buckler split into two semi-circles on either side of the weapon.

The edges themselves were black, however, the sides of the blade, as well as the small mechanism around the handle, were blood red. The grip was a light gray with four small orange dots on each its four sides on both sections. The weapon itself was easily twice her size. This was Alisa Ilinichina Amiella, a New-Type God Eater for the Fenrir Far East Branch.

"It may be disgusting, but this is our world. Besides, you and I have both seen worse." Another muttered from beside her, this time a male.

He stood a full head over Alisa and sported a head of messy dark gray hair that covered a small scar above his right brow and his eyes were a bright turquoise. He was a fairly broad teen and he wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a buttoned up collar, with a black leather jacket that had white cuffs by the wrists. Four straps held the jacket together around his waist, and a fifth held it together around his chest. On top of that was a hooded black sleeveless leather vest, that had three pouches, one on the left side and two on the right. The vest also had a bronze logo on the back of a giant wolf head. He also wore black pocketless pants that had a sheath for items on each thigh. The pants were tucked into metallic black leg guards and covered the tops of his black boots. This was Mithgail, leader of the 1st Unit in the Fenrir Far East Branch.

Resting on his shoulder was his weapon, a ruby red scythe. The shaft of the scythe had jagged spikes facing both up and down, leading up to a small curve of three larger spikes on the back and top of blades base. The blade itself was curved into a deadly point and had four black streaks that were gouged into the base of the blade, most likely from the claws of an Aragami.

"Y-Yeah…" Alisa muttered as she brandished her long blade, shaking her head to try and rid the smirk on her face.

"Is something the matter, Alisa?"

"Well, it's just that I'm not used to you actually talking. Sure you say a few things during battles, but lately, you've actually started talking." Smiling, Alisa glanced at her leader "It has really helped liven up the den."

"..." Lifting his scythe off his shoulder, Mithgail swung it out to the side making a small cloud of dirt fly up. "I guess that I can try to be a bit more vocal among the team." Before Alisa could respond, he kicked off the ledge that they stood on rushing towards the nearest Vajra. "Cover me from up there!"

The tiger-like Aragami opened its maw as it leaned back on its hind legs. " _ **RAAARRRGH!**_ " It let out a battle cry before kicking off the ground, an explosion of grass and mud erupting from the area where it once stood. As it neared its prey, the Vajra forced itself to open its mouth further, feeling the human fly into it.

Mithgail did nothing as he flew into the mouth of the Aragami. As it landed, it began to turn its sights on Alisa, getting ready to pounce once more before a blade pierced the top of its skull, making it rear up and stumble backwards.

'Nice, leader!' Alisa cheered in her mind as she watched the mouth of the Vajra fly open, her partner jumping out and onto the muddy grasslands below. He began sprinting away from the stunned creature, making his way towards the other four.

He glanced up at her and nodded, that was her signal. Alisa watched the wounded Vajra carefully before a metallic click filled the air making her squeeze her eyes shut. From behind her eyelids, she could see a bright flash of white light emanating from the pack leader. Cracking her eyes open, Alisa grinned as she activated the transformation of her blade, turning it into a giant Gatling gun. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the trigger and let loose a barrage of freezing bullets that pierced the Vajra's hide, each impact was accompanied by a spray of dark blood.

" _ **RAAAAA-!**_ " The beast tripped up in its own paw before falling backwards, hitting the ground back first. A loud splash followed its collapse, blood leaking from its torso and arms. ' _I should take care of it while he deals with the rest._ ' Gripping her gun, Alisa ran along the edge of the cliff side taking aim at the beast as she fired off a few shots. "Here we go…!" She exclaimed as she jumped to the ground below, landing shakily. Glancing towards Mithgail, she let out a relieved sigh knowing that he missed her stumble.

Turning her attention back to the recovering Vajra, she sprinted towards it. Triggering the transformation once again, she swung her Long-blade out to the side and pressed her boot into the ground before flipping over the Vajra. Aiming her weapon below her, Alisa felt her weapon rumble before a black and red substance materialized from the base of her blade, shooting down into the torso of the Vajra before tearing a chunk off of its chest. She felt a burst of power she hit the ground, sliding a small distance away.

Furious, the Vajra rolled onto its head before slamming its legs down. The ground around it cracked and splintered from the pressure, a large crater appearing at the under the edge of its body.

"Woah!" Alisa yelled as she stumbled and fell to the ground, "Nnngh… that wasn't fun." She grumbled as she held her lower back. Quickly climbing to her feet, she glared at the Vajra that had used the crater to slide onto its two hind legs before standing up straight. It leaped out of the hole and landed behind Alisa before swinging its front paw out, trying to swat the human girl away. "Oh no, you don't!" Pulling her weapon into her side, she hit a small trigger by the guard of the blade making the two semicircles move and click together forming a red shield with a black center.

" _ **GRAAAA!**_ " The beast let out a roar as its claws met steel, sending the girl skidding away, two long tracks forming in the mud from her boots. Before she could steady herself, a loud crackling filled the air followed by a giant ball of pure electricity. Alisa's eyes widened and she crouched behind her shield, the ball of electricity hitting her like a truck before exploding sending her flying into a rocky wall behind her.

"GAH!" Coughing up blood, she fell to the ground paralyzed, her lungs crying for air that she couldn't supply. Looking up, Alisa saw the Vajra slowly stalking towards her each step shaking the ground. ' _Damn… I can't move!_ ' Fear gripped her heart as the hideous face of the Vajra grew closer, approaching at a painfully slow pace. She was fully aware that she was just a distraction so that Mithgail could handle the other four, but how was she supposed to stand beside him if she was this weak?

Suddenly, she regained feeling in her fingers followed by her whole body. ' _Yes! Thanks to the burst the paralysis didn't last as long… wait! This isn't a time to be cheering_ ' Rolling to her feet, Alisa gripped her weapon and charged towards the Vajra. Sliding underneath it, she forced it through the tough hide of its stomach before dragging it down the length of its body. Alisa could barely close her eyes in time as a wave of red liquid splashed down over her body. "Ugh…" As her body stopped sliding, Alisa stood up now on the opposite side of the Aragami. Her clothes and skin were both drenched in blood. Forcing her state to the back of her mind, Alisa swung her weapon at the hind legs of the Vajra. Once again the red and black mass formed, however, it was much thinner this time.

As it connected with the Aragami's hide, small chunks were torn from its leg. She swung again, and another chunk was torn off. Every time her blade connected with the beast, the same black mass tore pieces off its leg, splattering blood onto the muddy earth. Unable to stand the punishment, the Vajra let out a cry and sent out a wave of electricity covering it in a protective shield. It forced Alisa to leap back to avoid getting paralyzed again, taking advantage of its break the Vajra ran. The ground shaking under it as it fled, favoring its wounded hind leg.

"Damn it!" Alisa cursed before turning to look at her leader "It's fleeing! What are your orders?!"

Mithgail rolled out of a charging Vajra's path before looking up, "Go after it! Don't let it heal!" Alisa nodded before running after the wounded beast. "Now, three left" Turning his attention back to the remaining three Vajra, he briefly saw the fourth begin to dissolve, unable to sustain its form any longer.

Wiping some mud out of his eyes, Mithgail narrowed his eyes and flipped his scythe around in his hands so that the blade was behind him. Running towards the remaining three. Each of the Vajra's dropped down and began generating five small balls of electrical energy. Facing fifteen balls of lightning, he leaped into the air over them as they shot towards the ground where he once stood. The explosion of electrical energy behind him sent him hurtling towards the Aragami, using his new momentum he swung his scythe at the nearest Vajra sending his body into a spin.

" _ **RAAAAAGHHH!**_ " The Vajra let out a cry of pain as a large gash was torn down its side. As Mithgail neared the ground, he lodged his blade in the tip of its tail before maneuvering himself so that he was standing on top of it.

"Come on! Stop taking turns like children and attack me all at once! You're not going to even come near me otherwise!" He yelled as he drove the tip of his scythe into the Vajra's back, holding himself steady as his new mouth began to jump and sprint in a futile attempt to shake him off. ' _Where are they?! Soma and Sakuya were supposed to have been here by now!_ '

"You're approaching the fifteen-minute mark you two! Keep calm and fight safe!" The voice of their operator sounding out from the small radio in one of Mithgail's pockets. "Alpha three and four are approaching your position as we speak, they were held up by a roaming Kongou herd."

"Finally!" Mithgail cheered as he tore his scythe out of the Vajra's back making it drop to the ground as he ran along its spine towards its head. "Alisa! Finish it up and back off! Soma and Sakuya are almost here!" Using his right foot as a brace, Mithgail stopped himself and swiped at the nape of the Vajra's neck severing the spinal cord. Nimbly evading the spray of blood, he rolled to the ground as a loud bang filled the air.

" _ **U-URAAAGGH…**_!" Behind him, another Vajra was shot in the eye, the mask around its face shattering and it's left eye socket all but exploding as it stumbled and fell dead to the ground.

"Sorry Leader! We didn't mean to be gone for so long!" The voice of Sakuya Tachibana echoed out from his com "At least Soma and I can handle the last tw-one, no problem!"

As if on cue, a dark skinned teen with bright blonde hair shot passed Mithgail and the taller Vajra. He slammed his foot into the ground before spinning and slamming the side of his giant blade it the Vajra's face shattering the bone mask and nearly slicing its jaw off. As the teen's body moved with momentum, another bang filled the air and a second bullet tore through the Vajra's skull, piercing it straight through. Both Mithgail and the other teen jumped back as the beast fell to the ground.

"Fashionably late, hey Soma?"

"Shut up. It wasn't our fault…" the dark skinned teen known as Soma grumbled in response to his leader's words.

Soma Schicksal was a fairly lean teen. He wore an untucked mustard dress shirt with brown baggy, cargo pants that had a rusted chain clipped from his belt ring going into his pocket. He also wore a tan belt that was loosely done up in addition to blue boots that were mostly covered by his pants legs and an open navy blue hoodie with matching fingerless gloves that reach his wrists.

He carried a giant white buster sword with a short handle. The blade itself was segmented into two parts, a straight one near the handle and a curved one near the edge. The steel segments were forged to have multiple teeth like a chainsaw blade, making it easy to shred and tear through the tough hide and flesh of the Aragami. The two segments were welded into a long white straight base.

"He's not wrong Captain, we were ambushed." Sakuya slowly approached from behind the two men, she was a busty woman with hime-style brunette hair and hazel eyes. Like Alisa, she sported a fairly trim figure.

She wore a black backless halter top that was tied around her neck with thin green strings and dark green short-shorts covered by a semi-opaque black shawl with green trimmings around the edge that is tied into a black bow over her right hip. She wears forest green strapped heels with matching elbow length gloves however her left glove stops at her wrist. She carried a long bronze and silver sniper with a smokey gray barrel. Her sniper was just as large as the others weapons, it was taller than her and bigger than her torso.

"Well, as long as the two of you are okay." Mithgail smiled as he held up his left arm, a big red bracelet connected to his wrist shone for a moment before his Scythe disappeared. "Can one of you go find Alisa? I want us all together when our transport arrives."

The two in front of him looked at each other before Sakuya nodded. "I'll find her. You two stay here and catch a breather." Walking passed the two men, she disappeared behind a large boulder.

"So, you're talking more lately."

"You know, Alisa said that too. Was I really that quiet?"

"Yeah, before we had a mission together most of us thought you were mute. Honestly though, it's really irritating that you only have proper conversations in the face of death." Soma glared lightly at his friend who just laughed it off.

"I thought it would help morale!"

"How? In what way would distracting us help raise the team's morale?"

Mithgail thought to himself for a long moment before smirking. "I get to say stupid things to lighten the mood!"

"Like, 'I would've been super dead, like really dead, 100 degrees past dead'? That kind of stupid thing?" Alisa called out as both she and Sakuya sauntered into view, the former being caked in dried blood.

"Yeah!" Turning to look at the girls, Mithgail smirked as he saw the state Alisa was in. "You've got some red on you, Alisa. Not that it looks bad or anything."

"Shut up!" Blushing behind the blood, Alisa glared at her Captain as the sound of a chopper filled the air. "Well, look at that! Extraction is here!"

"Wait we-"

"Let's go!" Sakuya cut him off as she and Alisa made their way towards the helicopter. Soma stared at Mithgail before shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're an idiot. Come on, Captain." Turning away from his friend Soma started to follow the two women. Mithgail just shook his head sighing before he followed after the rest of his team.

"What did I do?"

As the four God Eaters boarded the helicopter, the Vajra corpses dissolved into the earth. They became little more than bloody specs in the mud as the helicopter got higher and higher.

Glancing out his widow, Mithgail frowned. The Wailing Plains. An unsettling name, one this place wholly deserved. A giant rocky structure easily over a hundred feet tall formed a jagged circle in the middle of the plains. There was little to no vegetation or plant life left in the plains, giving it the appearance of a dreary, dark scar on a once beautiful planet. In the center of the plains inside the circle, raged the ever-spinner hurricane that never moved. The violent winds whistled through the cracks in the jagged black rocks creating an ear piercing, eerie howl. This was what gave the plains its name.

Nobody spoke, despite the success of the mission. They repelled the attack, and defended the outer city… but the sight of the wailing plains shattered any feelings of joy that they felt, robbing them of a temporary happiness. They took too long. When the Aragami first attacked, they fled instead of fighting. Within a day, half of the world was overrun by the menace. In three days, there was nothing left. Humanity had fallen, they lost. There was no ' _last defense_ ', no ' _fight back to the top'_. Humanity crumbled under the darkness, and now they were desperately clinging to their fragile existence. Even if they killed all the Aragami, their world would never be the same. It was a shattered, hostile shell of the once warm and welcome planet that billions called home.

"It still surprises me, we were brought to our knees and annihilated by our own creation. The Aragami seem to be mocking us whenever they attack our bases."

"What do you mean Sakuya?" Alisa questioned as Sakuya watched the scarred earth fly by beneath them.

"It's like they are saying ' _hey, we're still here and we can kill you whenever we get the urge_ ' you know? I doubt that we could handle a full out assault from the Aragami. There is still so much we don't know." Leaning her head back, the dark haired beauty let out a heavy sigh "Only recently have we been able to fight the stronger Aragami like the Vajra when they're in herds. The Oracle cells in our weapons are still unstable for the most part, so any prolonged use could lead to disaster. Then we have the deusphage… those things. The only reason we have been able to kill them is because o-"

"Enough." Mithgail's voice was stern as he stared out the window. "It won't be easily won, this war is too big. Every battle is an uphill battle, every fight pits us against the embodiment of death, but hey, we're still here right? So stop being so pessimistic and smile! I promise you that we are going to kick these Aragami asses so hard they won't be able to sit down for- well they'll be dead so never!"

"You're right Captain, sorry." Sakuya smiled warmly at the man across from her who just returned the smile.

"Sub-par pep talks aside, Tsubaki wants us to check out that anomaly on Aegis island before we head back."

"That sub-par pep talk was directed at you too pissy pants. You need to smile more than the girls."

"Whatever."

Sighing, Mithgail lifted his hand up and pulled his middle finger down with his thumb before flicking his partner in the ear. "Don't use whatever to escape a losing argument!"

"Ow!" Soma yelped before glaring at Mithgail "How the hell can you consider that an argument?!"

"Because I can. I'm your leader, my word is law."

"You can't pull rank on me, Corporal, we're the same rank." Soma snapped as the helicopter made a slight turn heading towards Aegis island.

"H-Hey, don't fight you two…" Alisa held her hands up and waved the two men down. "Take a breath."

""We're not fighting."" Both men shot back, before glaring at each other.

A heavy silence fell between the two men before Soma took a deep breath. "You're right. But, I find it hard to take orders from someone who is mute whenever we aren't on a mission. The only way we learn anything about you is through documents, your grunts or when we're fighting for our lives."

"..."

"As our Captain, you need to start interacting with us. Okay? No more of this 'It's for the morale' bullshit. I don't care if you don't talk to others, but at least talk with us."

"Do you two feel the same as Soma?" Glancing at the two girls across from him, Mithgail sighed as he was met with two small smiles and slight nods. "Consider it done, once we get back from Aegis, I'll start talking more in the den."

"Yes!" Alisa cheered earning a knowing smile from Sakuya and a confused stare from her captain. "Yes because… you're uhmm… a good talker?"

' _Smooth…_ ' Sakuya sighed in her mind and Alisa hid her face in her hands, hiding the bright blush on her cheeks. "I think that she's trying to tell us that you are a good speaker. Your cheesy lines and pointless comments help keep everyone in a relatively good mood."

"Oh! That makes more sense… thanks Alisa! That was nice to say!"

"Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah! No problem!" Looking up, Alisa smiled at her Captain as the team flew over the ocean, heading towards the island that was supposed to be their salvation just months earlier.

The sound of distant howls and roars filled their ears. No one spoke, everyone enjoying the silence. They flew in silence for awhile, the only sound aside from the Aragami in the air was the sound of the chopper's blades cutting through the air. "Attention, we will be landing in approximately sixty seconds. Please prepare yourselves for arrival."

Almost immediately after the radio went silent, the helicopter began slowly descending. Once the braces touched the ground, all four God Eaters hopped out of their transport and looked around. The stood on the upper platform of a large circular room. Almost everything was made from steel, including the smaller circular platform a few feet beneath them. It was much thinner than the one they were standing on but it was just as efficient in carrying people. Across from their platform was a large elevator at the end of a pathway. Down on the platform below was what looked like a pure black short sword lodged into the steel.

Soma took the lead and hopped down, followed by the others. "So, is this supposed to be the anomaly?" He muttered as he knelt down and flicked the handle of the sword

"I don't know, maybe." Sakuya said as she looked around before putting her finger to her temple, waiting a few seconds before a voice picked up "Hello, Tsubaki? Yeah, what was the anomaly you wanted to be investigated?"

" _We're not sure. We haven't been able to get any proper readings from Aegis in a while, once I finally learned about the problems with the surveillance I sent you guys there._ "

"All we see is a sword in the ground."

"Hey! I think I read something like this in a book from the old world… maybe if I pull it out I'll become a king!"

"Captain! Don't touch it!"

Alisa snapped at Mithgail in the background of the call, making Sakuya walk further away from the two squabbling teens. "Correction, it was in the ground."

" _Was that your Captain? I'm impressed, he's actually speaking. Anyways, bring the sword back to the den. I'll have Licc-_ " Tsubaki started to relay the team's new orders before the line went dead.

"CAPTAIN!" Spinning around, Sakuya felt her heart stop as she gaped at the scene before her. Mithgail was in the hands of some kind of Aragami, the majority of its body was covered in a black mass of Oracle cells, hiding everything but it's scaly hands, feet and it's eerie glowing blue eyes. The beast stood at least twenty meters tall, towering over even the legendary Ouroboros.

"HEY! I FOUND THE ANOMALY GUYS!" Mithgail yelled down making the gray-haired teen scream in frustration.

"Stop making stupid remarks and try to get out!" Soma snapped as his weapon formed in his hand before he leaped up into the air. "I'll distract it!" Swinging his buster sword, Soma's body spun as his weapon sliced through the black mass only to the stuck. Glaring at the beast, he pressed his feet into the area around his trapped blade and tried to kick himself off. The minute that his feet left the mass, it shot out and locked around his upper body, crushing the bones in his arms before dragging him into it "GAAAHHH-!" His cry of pain was cut off as his body disappeared.

' _Damn it… you said it like I haven't been trying!_ ' Mithgail snapped in his mind as he felt the Oracle cells in the Aragami's hand slowly encroaching his entire body. ' _The girls have to run!_ ' Looking down, he saw Sakuya run up beside Alisa before he made eye contact with both of them. "RUN! Tell Tsubaki what happened, don't get caught! Its entire body seems to be made of extremely voracious cells, don't let it touch you!"

Reluctantly, Sakuya nodded and started to back away slowly. Alisa, on the other hand, refused outright. "NO! I'm not losing you, Captain!" She screamed in defiance as she brought out her sword. "I'll hel-!"

"Don't be stupid! Soma is stronger than you and he didn't even stand a chance! Don't throw your life away for someone like me, now get out of here!"

As the weight of her sword left her hands Alisa shook her head, fighting against Sakuya who was trying to pull her back. "I'm not leaving!"

"You can't save me, now stop being so stubborn and leave!" Mithgail shouted as the black Oracle cells began to creep up his neck and around the sides of his cheeks.

"But-"

"That's an order." As the last words left his mouth, every syllable bearing a crushing weight, he disappeared. The Oracle cells covering his entire body before he seemingly sunk into the beast's hands.

Everything from then on was in slow motion for Alisa. The giant Aragami having devoured her friend and her Captain, sunk into the ground, taking the form of a sword once more. The jet black blade clattered the ground at the same time Alisa fell to her knees.

The warm sensation of tears streaming down her cheeks was the only feeling that her numb body registered, her slender shoulder trembling as she held back her sobs.

"A-Alisa… we've got to go." Sakuya muttered, kneeling beside the younger girl as she put her hand on Alisa's back. "I've never seen that happen before… there's a chance that they aren't dead. Just captured."

"They were devoured Sakuya." Alisa croaked, her tears dripping onto the ground below her as she grabbed her arms "He's gone… I never even got the chance to tell him."

"I know, that's exactly why we should get that sword and get out of here." Standing up, Sakuya left the whimpering teen to herself for a moment as she walked over to the sword and knelt down, hesitating for a long second before wrapping her fingers around the handle and picking it up.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Alisa getting to her feet before slowly making her way to the ladder behind her. "Come on Sakuya… we need to get back to the den, right?"

"..." Saying nothing, Sakuya just followed Alisa. Both girls silently walked over to the helicopter and saw the pilot's seat empty, the front window shattered. Deciding not to question it, the both climbed into the front and closed the door behind them.

Sakuya started the engine and lifted the helicopter off their ground before entering their coordinates into a small GPS and flying along the generated line. "At least the front seats are comfier hey?"

"Yeah… I guess."

' _Maybe silence is best. She needs time to cope._ ' Nodding to herself, Sakuya respected Alisa's silent wishes and stayed quiet, letting a heavy silence fall upon the cockpit of the helicopter. ' _I know I needed time too…'_

A Resonance Between Worlds

"T-Thank you," Ruby whispered as she slowly climbed to her feet. "I thought I was gonna die."

"It's okay! Now get up, this place isn't safe yet." Turning her attention to the three girls behind Ruby, Shio smiled. "You guys too, we need to go before the birdie up above decides it's supper time."

They all nodded dumbly before grabbing their required materials and walking over to Shio and Ruby.

Weiss was silent as she walked passed the duo, Blake was glaring the at the young girl, and Yang was speechless. The other four teens just gaped at the. newcomer before silently running after Blake and Weiss.

As Ruby brushed herself off, her sister pulled her into a crushing hug. "Thank god you're alright… I was so scared…" Yang whispered as she held Ruby in her vise-like grip.

"G-Got it, Yang! But I'm okay! Really!" Ruby exclaimed as she flailed around in Yang's grip.

"You're in sooo much trouble! You know that right?" Yang snapped as she let go of her sister, glaring down at her. "Now go grab a piece so we can head back!"

Ruby nodded slowly before making her way over to the pedestals where the one remaining chess piece sat. "Ermm, what about Shio? This was the last one…"

"What about me? You and your friends got pieces right?" Shio shrugged as she swung her sword in a long arc, letting it rest on her shoulders. "Let's just go back to the start, I don't want to be here anymore."

Pouting, Ruby shuffled over to Yang before the two sisters followed the group that went on ahead. "Thank you, Shio." Sending a thankful glance towards Shio, Yang smiled.

"Hehe, you're welcome Ms. Yang." Spinning on her heel, Shio walked behind the group of teens while keeping a watchful eye on the Grimm that was flying up above. "So uhmm… why is there a big bird in the sky? Did you annoy it?"

"Yeah… haha. Weiss and I kinda hitchhiked on its talons. Now it's hungry." Ruby whispered as she glanced over her shoulder at her savior.

"Ohhh, was it a fun ride? I remember I rode an Ogretail once, it didn't like it but it was fast, though!" Shio rambled as she let her body move on its own. The others were too concerned with getting back to the starting point to actually listen. "Ooooo, then there was the time that I tried to ride a Vajra! She was a bit more tolerant of me, I got to see a whole bunch of fun places." Waving her arms out around her, Shio smile and stared ahead "huh? Where'd you guys go?"

"SHIO!" A desperate cry filled her ears and she spun around, her eyes locking with Ruby's. "GET DOWN!"

The young girl tilted her head in confusion before a large shadow fell over her. Shio had gotten lost in her own thoughts and walked out into the open, standing on a fairly narrow bridge. Across from her sat a large black crow, easily ten times her size. "Birdie?"

" _ **CAWWWWW!**_ " The Grimm opened its pitch black beak and glared down at the girl who just stared back at it, completely unfazed.

"You're really loud. Can you be quieter?"

" _ **CAWWWW!**_ "

"Uhmm… thanks?" Shio forced a small smile at the Nevermore. She knew it was dangerous, but she wasn't the kind of person to care.

"Leave her alone!" Ruby cried out as she shot past the Grimm and grabbed Shio by the waist, carrying her to the other side of the bridge. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fin-"

"How dare you!" The black crow had to take flight as a certain blonde sister swung at it, tearing a hole in its wing.

"He didn't do anything…" Shio muttered as she watched Ruby and the others fight off the Grimm. The fight lasted a while, and a lot happened. Ruby and Weiss worked together to cut its head off, the bridge fell apart, and the blonde boy almost died. Pretty tame in Shio's eyes.

Once everybody got across the broken bridge, there were a few sighs but no words. Everyone just silently walked back to the starting platforms leaving Shio confused and feeling somewhat alone.

 _Beacon Auditorium, Beacon Academy._

"Why am I in trouble, Ms. Glynda?" Shio whispered from her spot behind the curtains. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"You're not in trouble, so shh. Let Ozpin finish his announcements."

Glynda and Shio shared a hushed conversation as Ozpin went over the teams and their leaders. Shio glanced at the large projection in the center of the auditorium:

 **TEAM JNPR:** Jaune Arc, Leader. Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren.

 **TEAM RWBY:** Ruby Rose, Leader. Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long.

There were other teams and students projected, but they didn't interest Shio. She saw her friends and was glad that they passed their test, but there was one thing that bugged her. The title that was gifted to both Ruby and Jaune, Leader.

"-em at least. The teams seem to be somewhat balanced."

"Huh?" Shio blinked as she saw the students getting up and beginning to leave. "Where is everyone going?"

"The assembly is over." Glynda started before glancing at the girl beside her "Is something the matter? You look, well, pale." It was a poor choice of words considering Shio's complexion but the girl seemed to understand what Glynda was getting at.

"I'm fine! Just thinking about my old Leader." Looking down, Shio let out an uncharacteristically heavy sigh. "I wish I could see him again, he was like my big brother."

"Leader? You were on a team?"

"Mhm! Every division was split up into units apparently. Due to what I am, and who found me, I was an honorary member of the first unit. They took me out for food, and helped me grow." Standing up, Shio strolled over to the dark curtain and saw Ozpin talking to the two remaining teams on the stage. "It all seemed so happy until I made them do something horrible."

Glynda narrowed her eyes as she approached the girl, reaching out. ' _Will I even see anything right now?_ ' Letting her palm lay on Shio's shoulder, the world spun and her eyes widened.

 _?,?_

'I'm in Shio's body again…'

Shio sat on a small bed in a room, surrounded by two other girls. One had gray hair and went by Alisa while the other had brunette hair and went by Sakuya.

"I'm telling you, the guys would freak if we snuck Shio out. Forget the rules, Soma would be after our heads and the Captain would be disappointed."

"Consequences be damned! Just because the Captain makes you all tingly doesn't mean that pleasing him should govern your life. Let's live a little, Alisa!" The one known as Sakuya pressed, a hungry glint in her eyes as Alisa shrunk back.

"O-Okay… but just this once okay Sakuya?"

"Yes! Did ya hear that Shio?! We're going to Fenrir's hidden springs! Human or not, you'll looove them!" Sakuya cheered as she pulled the blushing Alisa into a hug before grabbing Shio's hand.

' _These seem to be her friends, I can't say that I approve. They are wearing such revealing clothes…_ ' Glynda thought as Shio was dragged towards the door.

"To the spa-huh?" As Sakuya pulled the door open, she came face to a smiling man, Shio couldn't see his face, but every hair on her body stood up. He was dangerous.

 _Auditorium backstage, Beacon._

Before she knew it, Glynda was back in her own body and Shio was staring up at her. "That man was someone known as the director. When I first met him, I had trouble even saying that word." Shio chuckled as she remembered how little she used to know. "I was the key part of his plan, a plan that was this close to succeeding."

"What kind of plan? What was he going to do that required your assistance?"

"He was going to trigger an event that would devour the world. My life was the last piece of his little puzzle." Shio shrugged before grinning and giving Glynda a thumbs up. "I'm still alive, though, so his plan didn't totally work!"

"This isn't a time to be joking around Shio… we need to talk more about this!" Glynda snapped.

"I don't want to."

"Go- wait, what?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it anymore. Now let me go congratulate my friends." Pushing passed Glynda, Shio walked out from behind the curtains smiling. She saw Ozpin calling over Jaune and Ruby,

"These are your room keys, I hope you find everything to be satisfactory." Ozpin handed Jaune and Ruby the silver keys that would let them into their rooms.

"Heyyyy! Good job guys!" Shio cheered, waving at the group as she ran towards them. "I couldn't wait for Mr. Ozpin to stop talking so that I could come out!"

"Shio? I'm sorry…" Ruby smiled weakly at the younger girl while walking up to meet her. "You saved my life, so you couldn't get a chess piece. You failed the test because of me."

"It's okay Ms. Ruby, really!"

"No, it isn't. It's my fault okay?" Bending over, Ruby put her hands on her knees as she spoke with Shio. "Please forgive- AH!" Stumbling back, Ruby rubbed her forehead and glared lightly at Shio who had just flicked her. "Are you that angry?"

"Nope! But I told you, my failing the test meant nothing! Right, Mr. Ozpin?" Shio glanced over Ruby, at the tall man between them and the other seven teens.

"You aren't wrong Shio." Glancing at the white haired girl, Ozpin nodded earning confused stares from the two new teams. "Miss Shio's participation in the test was merely something for me to use in order to gauge her skills as a huntress. We already have a deal regarding her enrolment in Beacon. One that I hope she hasn't forgotten."

"Hehe~ I haven't forgotten. Don't worry!" Shio smiled as she waved off Ozpin's concerns.

"Good. Well, I will be seeing you eight later then." Nodding his head towards the others, Ozpin walked passed Shio and knelt down beside her. "Stay with team RWBY and team JNPR for now. I'll have a place for you to stay permanently, ready sometime tomorrow."

"M'kay. Sounds good!" Shio smiled as Ozpin stood up and walked off the stage, leaving the nine kids behind.

"He was just gauging your abilities? Don't tell me that you're actually older than us all…" Yang asked as she walked towards Shio and Ruby, resting her arm on her sister's shoulder.

'Probably.' Shio thought to herself smiling, "Nope! I don't know how old I am exactly, but I know that you're all older than me."

"Then why weren't you part of the same test?"

"Because I'm too young. Mr. Ozpin and Ms. Glynda had an argument about him admitting me before I was old enough, so he decided to make a deal with both me and her."

"What was the deal?" Blake asked as she joined the conversation, her eyes glued to the younger girl watching for any signs of deceit. "Are you giving him something?"

"Kinda I guess…" Shio began as she averted her eyes, suddenly finding the ground to be extremely interesting. "Oh! Who are these people? Are they your friends?" Walking passed the two older teens questioning her, Shio approached team JNPR. "Hiya, I'm Shio!" Holding her hand up, she grinned and waved at the four teens.

"I'm Phyrra, it's a pleasure." The redhead nodded her head slightly in greeting.

"I'm Lie Ren, it's nice to meet you." The teen beside her said, raising his hand before pointing to a smiling girl beside him. "and this is Nora."

Shio turned to look at the next member only to get swept up into the air and pulled into a hug. "OOOHHH! She's like a little truffle!"

"W-Whaa?" Shio's eyes widened as she felt herself being spun around by a green-eyed girl named Nora. "Can you put me down, uhmm… please?"

"No! You're just so huggable!" Nora gushed as she held Shio up above her head looking into her eyes "and your eyes are beautiful! Ohh Ren can I keep her?!"

"K-Keep?!" Shio squeaked before she began to squirm around in the girl's grasp. After a few desperate attempts, she pried herself free and fell to the floor landing shakily on one foot. Catching her balance, Shio rushed over to Yang who was making her way over to them. Hiding behind her, Shio peeked out at Nora who was being scolded by Ren. "Haaa, she's scary…"

Mumbling to herself, Shio cuddled into Yang's back oblivious to the approaching teen. "Ah! Vomit bo- I mean Jaune!" Yang began, barely catching herself in time. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to introduce myself to pinty."

' _Pinty?'_ Tilting her head up, Shio slowly inching out from behind Yang and saw the tall blonde teen talking with her.

"Ah, there she is." Smiling, Jaune crouched down so that his eyes were on the same level as Shio's. "Would you like to come and say hi? Nora isn't gonna do anything, Ren's got her under control."

In response, Shio let out a relieved sigh and stepped out into the open. "Sorry, I'm just not really good with being picked up suddenly."

"You were fine when I did it." Yang supplied earning a slight blush from Shio. ' _Nailed it._ '

"Well, you're different. You didn't want to keep me, unlike her." Shio murmured before smiling at the teen in front of her. "I'm Shio, it's nice to meet you!" Sticking her hand out, Shio waited for the teen to shake her hand.

"I'm Jaune, it's great to meet you." He grinned before lightly taking her hand and shaking it. "I'm also the leader for team JNPR for some reason, I don't think I'm qualified but apparently Ozpin saw something."

' _He is just like_ _ **he**_ _was.'_ Smiling, Shio shook her head. "You remind me of my old Leader." In an instant, all eyes were on her, but she didn't seem to notice. "He comforted me when I was scared too, and he fed me, and even took me out on missions! He was really nice, and had a bad habit of blurting out cheesy lines in the middle of battle."

"Oh? Well, th-"

"The fact that you remind me of him, means that you'll be a great Leader. His rise to the position was even more abrupt and uncalled for than yours, he had to deal with more than just his team too." Stepping forward, Shio pressed her palm into Jaunes cheek. "But despite all that, he helped everyone. Just like you helped me."

A faint blush formed on Jaune's cheeks as he stared at the smiling girl. ' _She's so sweet… it's hard to believe that she actually cut a deathstalker in half._ ' Jaune was pulled from his thoughts as Shio let go of him and walked back to Yang.

"There is one big difference that you need to work on, though." Shio glanced over her shoulder as she made her way to Yang's side.

"What's that?"

"He was strong enough to scare even the monsters sometimes. As was the previous leader." She couldn't help but giggle at the depressed expression he made. "Don't worry, that is because he was physically strong though he was. It's because he had a strong will and an indomitable spirit. That's something you grow into, so you'll get there. I promise!"

"Y-Yeah. Thanks, Shio." Jaune nodded, smiling.

"You know that she's just a kid right? You're too old for her." Yang whispered, glancing at Jaune.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I know that! I wasn't thinking anything like that!" Blushing, Jaune stared at Yang who was just shaking her head.

"Riiiight. Anyways, we're going to head to our room. You guys should do the same." The eight teens shared a silent goodbye before Yang picked Shio up and dropped her on her shoulders as she and the rest of team RWBY left the auditorium.

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

 _Team RWBY's dorm._

"I said no."

"Whyyyy?"

"Because you're a child."

"But you let Shio see it!" Ruby complained as Weiss held her rapier over her head while Ruby tried to grab it.

"That's because Shio killed a Deathstalker by herself, you nearly got killed by the same Deathstalker."

"But we're partners!"

"I'm older, so my word is la-huh?" Looking up, she saw Myrtenaster missing. "But when?"

"Here Ruby!"

"Ahhh! Thanks, Shio!" Ruby cheered as she took a hold of Myrtenaster and began to look over it, swinging it every once and awhile.

"Shio! How could you!" Weiss shrieked making the other two occupants of the room wince.

"She wanted to see it, what's the problem with that?"

"It's dangerous, that's the problem!" Weiss snapped as she walked over to Ruby and snatched Myrtenaster from her. "Besides, how would you like it if someone stole your weapon?"

"Well, they'd probably die." Shio shrugged nonchalantly as she turned to look at Ruby. "Hey Ms. Ruby, can I share your bed tonight? Other than Yang I don't think anyone really likes me. Besides, even if I slept with Yang she'd probably smother me."

"S-Sure, but what do you mean that they'd probably die?" Weiss nodded from the sidelines, having been waiting to ask the same question.

"Uhmm… my weapon is… kinda made for me. She likes me and only me. Nobody else can use her." Biting her lip, Shio glanced at the two girls before dropping her head "Nevermind…"

"Is it fingerprints? I remember this one weapon my Uncle Qrow made only recognized his fingerprints, so when my dad tried to pick it up it shocked him." Ruby recalled as she tapped her finger on her chin.

"Or is it advanced Dust technology that registers its wielders DNA?" Weiss added making Shio's head spin.

"Uwaa… too many words…" Shio whispered as she struggled to understand it all. "All I know is that she only likes me." Nodding, Shio watched the other two girls sigh.

""You're no fun.""

"Huh?! Why? What did I do?" Shio exclaimed as Ruby and Weiss wandered to their respective beds.

"Nothing. It's just that you aren't telling us anything, it's kinda like you don't trust us." Ruby said as she flopped back onto her bed.

"Agreed. You won't even show us your weapon." Weiss added making Shio pout.

"Will that make you two happy?" Both girls nodded vigorously, making Shio take a step back. "Fineee… here. You can't touch her, promise me that."

""Promise!""

Squeezing her eyes shut, Shio held her hand out and summoned her weapon. "Here." Holding her weapon out in front of her, Shio thought for a moment before grinning "Her name is Arius."

"That's such a cool name! And it's so pretty!" Ruby gushed as she sat up and almost ran over to the younger girl. "Hey, how can you make it appear and disappear like that?"

"Uhh… it's my…" Glancing up at the ceiling, Shio recalled some of the terms from one of Glynda's book. "My Semblance! It lets me store things in another space."

"Really? That seems really convenient. It must be useful on missions." Weiss leaned forward to look over Shio's sword "Arius huh? I've got to say… I'm impressed. It's very intricate, did you make it yourself?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Shio nodded before sending Arius away. "Anyways! Let's go to bed okay? It's getting late."

"Shio's right. Come on Ruby." The two teens nodded and reluctantly walked into the room's bathroom to change into their pajamas.

Shio let out a soft sigh and wandered over to Ruby's bed jumping onto it. Looking around, Shio smiled. "It's really comfy in here."

There were four bunks squeezed into the room, along with a front door and a bathroom in the corner big enough for two comfortably. Closing her eyes, Shio curled up on top of the bed before passing out.

 _Beacon Dormitory Hallway._

"You're still going on about this Blake? She's just a kid, it's not like she's some kind of monster."

"I'm not calling her a monster, I'm just saying that she isn't very trustworthy," Blake whispered as she and Yang stood just outside the door of their room. "I mean, she refuses to answer any detailed questions, she slaughtered a Deathstalker and brushed it off, she's attending Beacon at an age even younger than Ruby and didn't even need to take the test." Crossing her arms, Blake glared at Yang. "Can you tell me honestly, that you trust Shio?"

"..."

"See? Even you can't trust her. I'm going to get answers, now." Walking passed Yang, Blake opened the dorm room door and saw Shio on the bed. "Hey, we have something to ask you."

"Blake… just relax." Yang called out as she watched her partner kneel in front of Shio, just to let out an irritated sigh "Shio's asleep hey? At least we can't bug her now."

"Whatever you say. Let's just go to bed." Blake grumbled as she stood up, sending a quick glare at her partner before walking over to the bunk opposite of Shio, hopping up to the top. "Good Night." Blake disappeared under the covers as Yang made her was to the bunk under her.

"Good night…"

Curling up under the blankets, Yang closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Seconds later, Weiss and Ruby walked out of the washroom and gaped at the two new bodies. "When did they get here?" Weiss asked as she walked over to the free bunk and climbed up top, Ruby climbing into the bottom with Shio.

"Probably when we were changing. Anyways, let's go to bed." Ruby curled into Shio under her blankets, smiling as the young girl cuddled into her "Goodnight Weiss."

"Goodnight Ruby."

 _Team JNPR's Dorm._

"Thank god, Blake and Yang finally stopped arguing." Jaune muttered as he turned around and looked at his team, all of which were holding their ears against the door.

"Well, this is an argument about their friend. We shouldn't intrude." Pyrrha stood up and rested her hand on Jaune's shoulder before walking over to her bunk and crawling into it.

"She's right. Act like we don't know anything." Walking over to his own bed, Ren shut off the room's only light prompting Nora to groan as she had to strain her eyes to see her leader.

"Psshh, they're no fun. Let's say that you and I go eavesdrop some more?" Nora suggested, making her leader shake his head. "No? Aww…" hanging her head low, Nora spun on her heel and sulked over to her bed, quietly crawling into it.

' _What was that? Was I hallucinating?_ ' Jaune thought to himself as he sat down in the corner, leaning back into a chair. ' _When Shio touched me, I saw another world. It was so depressing, but I didn't get to see very much._ ' Staring at the ceiling, Jaune pressed his hand into his chest, gripping his shirt. "Shio… you were alone for so long. How did you survive without breaking? How did you get so strong?" Whispering to himself, Jaune sighed and stood up. ' _Guess I'd better go to bed, it's getting late._ '

Walking over to his bed, Jaune pulled his sheets back and slipped under them. "Night everybody." Closing his eyes, Jaune pulled the sheets up around himself, slowly drifting to sleep.

 _?, Vale._

"What do you mean? How am I supposed to take care of the kid and do your reconnaissance Oz?"

" _You'll find a way Qrow. I would ask Peter or Glynda, but that would give way to far too many questions. All I ask is that you let her stay in your apartment in Vytal, and visit every once and awhile._ "

"Seriously? How much work do you expect me to take on Oz?" Qrow groaned as he leaned back in his chair, picking up the glass on the table in front of him. "Forget it."

" _I'll pay off all your tabs."_

"..." Qrow fell silent before downing the contents of his glass. "All of my tabs?"

" _Yes."_

"Consider her taken care of. I'll return to be back at Beacon in a week. Feel free to let her into my place whenever, now bye." Qrow hung up before tossing his scroll onto the table with a resounding thud. "Damn it. I was this close too." Standing up, Qrow walked away from his table and glanced at the bartender "Just put it on my tab. It'll be handled sometime."

"What about your Scroll?" The bartender called out, pointing at the slightly cracked scroll next to the half-empty pint.

"What do you mean? That one's yours. Did you think I would make a business call on my own scroll? Are you insane?" Without waiting for a response, Qrow left the bar heading out into the rainy streets.

' _I swear, he always waits until I'm almost done my mission before calling me back. It pisses me off.'_ Qrow pulled up the hood on his black jacket before stuffing his hands into his pockets. Staring at the ground, he began walking down the cobblestone street, his shoes splashing in the puddles of water forming. ' _Damn, this rain is relentless. It's been going on for two days now.'_ Risking a glance, Qrow surveyed the town around him. Nothing. He was alone. Being alone in a town like this was never a good sign.

Quickening his pace, Qrow began to rush for the nearest inn. ' _I'm being followed._ ' Making a quick turn into an alley, Qrow ducked behind a garbage bin. ' _Come on, show yourself.'_ Waiting silently, Qrow heard the sounds of footsteps in the rain lead up to and stop just beside his trash bin.

"Qrow Branwen." A deep voice called out "This is a message from Lady Salem."

' _Shit!_ ' Tensing up, Qrow felt the mass of Aura forming behind him. Kicking off the ground, he launched himself upwards as a fiery explosion went off behind him, obliterating the entrance of the alley away.

Touching down further in the alley, he ducked as a red burst shot over his head blowing up the side of the building in front of him before sprinting towards the smoking pile of debris. Slipping into the now open building, Qrow battled through the smoke and leaped out through a window shattering the glass. ' _There.'_ Staring at a small cliff overlooking a lake, Qrow pushed his body harder. Every step reverberated through his body, every breath felt like he was inhaling glass. ' _I can't get caught!_ ' Pressing his foot into the edge of the ledge, he kicked into the air and launched himself far over the lake.

As he went airborne, a stinging pain filled his side as one of his stalkers attacks pierced his left side, sending him into a spiral towards the water far below. As his body spun, Qrow squinted and made out a faint outline of a man holding his hand up. A small red gem glowing in his palm. ' _Magic?! Impossible!_ ' Qrow yelled in his mind as his back hit the ice cold water, "You screwed up asshole! I'm still al-ugh!" His boast was cut short as water rushed into his mouth.

Shaking his head, Qrow flipped his body over in the water and began slowly swimming towards the nearest beach, gritting his teeth to get through the pain in his side. ' _This isn't good. The wound may be cauterized, but it still hurts like a bitch. I need to get to land fast, or I'll drown.'_ Forcing himself to swim faster, Qrow soon found himself crawling onto land grabbing his side. "Okay, first things first… find shelter." Climbing to his feet, Qrow slowly limped off the sandy beach and wandered into a small forest.

"I was careless, I shouldn't have tried to wait for him." Leaning into a tree, Qrow stared up at the sky watching as the dark rain clouds grew heavier. "I need to get to a town or at least a small hut somewhere. I won't survive in this weather with this wound."

Pushing off the tree, Qrow began to press forward, rain beating against his back. As he walked, he saw a small light in between two large trees. Groaning, he turned slowly and began to walk towards the light, his head throbbing. "Damn… I'm running a fever." Stumbling slightly, the injured hunter broke through the bushes and grinned as he felt his shoes hit cobblestone.

His breathing grew heavy as his vision blurred. Every step felt like he was lifting a ton just to move. Qrow made his was up the wooden stairs of a small suburban home and stopped in front of the door. Lifting his hand, he slammed his fist into the door before dropping to his knees, his hand sliding down the door before he lost consciousness. Qrow's body slumped to the side and hit the porch with a loud thud.

As his body hit the porch, the front door opened slightly, revealing the gray eyes of an old man. He stuck his head out and surveyed his surroundings making sure that he was alone before opening the door fully and hoisting Qrow over his shoulder, dragging him into his home. The door slammed shut behind him and the light on the porch went dark.

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

"Well? What did Qrow say?" Glynda asked as she sat down in the chair across from Ozpin.

"He said that he'd do it. I had to bribe him though." Taking a sip of his cocoa, Ozpin set his scroll carefully down on the table between him and Glynda. "What about you? Have you gotten anything else out of Shio yet?"

"Yes actually, she used to be part of a team not unlike the ones here at Beacon. I also know that she feels responsible for a lot of the troubles they went through and that there was a man known as the Director who wanted to trigger an event that would 'devour the world'. In addition to the Soma that she mentioned before, I also learned of three others, two by name and one by his or her title"

"Go on." Ozpin pressed, earning a nod from Glynda.

"Alisa and Sakuya. They seemed to be Shio's sisterly influence back at her old home. Alisa referred to their leader as 'Captain' probably to hide his identity in case of a security breach." Glynda continued, only to watch Ozpin hold his hand up.

"From what I've heard, her old home was fairly militarized. Do you truly believe their Aragami are that much of a threat? Something that us hunters wouldn't be able to handle?"

"I'm not sure. I don't want to find out, but odds are that only veteran hunters could handle them." Ozpin nodded and motioned for Glynda to continue once again. "As of right now, I feel that we need to continue watching over Shio as we have been. Leaving her alone for too long may lead to trouble."

"I agree. For now, she will be living in Qrow's residence. Once we learn a bit more we will be able to figure out what exactly we're doing." Standing up, Ozpin walked over to his desk and pulled up a large hologram of a body, Shio's body. "I've been running a diagnostic with the help of Ironwood, so far we've discovered that even her flesh is different from ours. Shio wasn't lying when she told us she wasn't human, she is even less human the Grimm."

"You told Ironwood? What for?"

"He is one of us, Glynda. He deserves to know what's going on in his world." Staring at the hologram, Ozpin ran his fingers through his hair and sighed "What are we going to do if these Aragami arrive here? We need countermeasures, data, and information."

Glynda stood up and walked over to Ozpin's side, staring through the hologram. "Where would we get the data?"

"Simple. We will need Shio to fight somebody without the intention to kill, preferably a huntsman but if necessary, a student will work too. Do you have anyone in mind?" Glancing at the woman beside him, Ozpin watched her nod silently.

"Yes. Ms. Belladonna on team RWBY. She has displayed hostility and trust issues towards Shio, the two of them would probably yield the best results."

"That settles it then," Collapsing the hologram, Ozpin walked around his desk and sat down, leaning on his elbows. "Blake Belladonna and Shio will participate in a mock battle."

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you thought of it!**


	4. The Calm Before The Storm Pt2

**Chapter four is up! I hope you all enjoy. If you have any questions or conerns feel free to PM me. I'll respond A.S.A.P.**

 **P.S, I'd like to thank Asleep12hrs for reading over the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer (I forgot this in the last three chapters, oops.)**

 **RWBY belongs to RoosterTeeth and God Eater belongs to Shift. I own nothing but the OC's.**

* * *

A warm sensation washed over Qrow's form making his eyes crack open. "Hmm…? Where am I?" Propping himself up on his elbows, he felt the soft fabric of bandages wrapped around his torso covering his wound from the night before.

Looking around, he found himself sitting on a single sized bed covered in black blankets. There was a window behind the head of the bed and a small wooden desk beside it. The walls of the room were made of wood, while the floor was covered in a carpet.

Scratching his head, Qrow uncovered himself and stood up. "Where the hell am I?" Shuffling over to a small chair, Qrow grabbed the light gray jacket that was hanging over the back before draping it over his shoulder. ' _First, find my weapon. Second, find my pants.'_

Looking down, Qrow groaned internally at the sight of the pink floral boxers he was wearing. 'This is like something Tai would do to me.' Shaking his head, he turned on his heel and made his way towards the wooden door. Grabbing the handle, he opened the door slightly and left the room.

Stepping out into the hall, Qrow stalked towards the end of the hallway. A dim light emanated from around the corner, accompanied by the soft sounds of laughter. Hugging the wall, he peeked around the corner and saw an old man with a head of balding gray hair with someone Qrow assumed to be his wife.

Narrowing his eyes, Qrow let out a sigh and stepped out into the open. "Before we do any kind of discussion, I want my pants."

 _?, Vale._

"You were dying, so my wife patched you up. What were ya doing to get a wound like that?" An old man asked as he poured a cup of tea for Qrow. He was a short man, with a roundish figure. His eyes were a smokey gray and he sported a thin black beard with streaks of gray. His attire consisted of a gray pajama top and matching sweatpants.

"I got into a fight, didn't end well." Pulling the black dress pants up, he buttoned them up and walked over to a black loveseat, carefully sitting down. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Edward Milreign, and this is my wife Karin." In response to her introduction, Karin raised her hand in greeting. She was a frail, small woman with a pair of gray fox ears. Like her husband, she had light gray hair but her eyes were a bright shade of amber. She wore a simple sky blue long sleeve pajama top with matching pajama pants. "Now, if you would be so kind as to share your name?"

"Qrow Branwen, I'm a teacher at Signal Academy." Leaning into his chair, Qrow held his side slightly and sighed. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Outskirts of Vale. I found you passed out by my door a few nights ago." Edward recalled as he got to his feet, glancing at Qrow before walking past his chair and into the kitchen. "You were running a serious fever and had a serious burn on your side, if it wasn't for my wife you would have died."

"I see, well then thanks ma'am. I appreciate it."

"It was no trouble at all dear, I've dealt with far worse." Karin smiled warmly, her worn eyes lighting up slightly. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be related to Raven by any chance would you?"

Narrowing his eyes, Qrow put up his guard. ' _Who is this? Why does she know about her…'_ Nodding slowly, Qrow saw Karin's smile widen.

"I knew it was you! A long time ago I found two young children alone in a forest. They told me that they were looking for their parents, so I took them in until their parents returned. You and your sister stayed with Edward and I for about two months." Karin reached down and picked up a long wooden cane, helping her stand up.

Raking through his memories, Qrow kept drawing a blank until it hit him.

 _Vytal Memorial Park, Vale._

"We're lost."

"No we aren't Qrow! I know father went this way." A young girl snapped as she grabbed her brother's wrist, dragging him behind her. She had red eyes and long frayed black hair that reached the middle of her back. She wore a black long sleeved shirt underneath a gray hoodie that was fully zipped up. She also wore a pair of gray jeans with a small tear on the right knee and black running shoes.

"You've been saying that for the last hour Raven. Just admit that we're lost." A young Qrow groaned as she let his twin sister pull him. He wore a gray t-shirt with black crow wings across the upper part of his back. He also wore a pairs of dusty blue boot-cut jeans and gray running shoes. His eyes were red like his sisters and his hair, while short and spiky, was just as dark as Raven's.

"Why do you have to give up? It's like dad always says ' _If you ever get left behind, just let the wind carry you home'_ , and for me the wind is blowing this way!"

"Haaa… whatever." Hanging his head in defeat, Qrow picked up his feet and walked alongside his sister. "At least the park is nice."

"Right?! I love looking at Vytal's history. It always makes me so happy." Grinning, Raven stopped and turned to look a large statue representing the first time humans fought Grimm. " _They fell upon us like a wave of despair, slaughtering anything in sight."_

" _The only thing that stood in their way, were the hunters. Strong and skilled Huntsmen and Huntresses who put their lives on the line to protect the innocent."_ Qrow picked up after his sister, both of them reading the small golden plaque beneath the head of the stone Beowulf.

" _They are our idols."_ Raven said smiling as she imagined a fight between a real hunter and Beowulf, excited to think of how skilled they must be.

" _They are our dreams."_ Qrow read, thinking about his aspirations of becoming a hunter, a teacher and a guardian.

"" _They are our heros!""_ The twins read the last line in unison, enthusiasm and glee flooding their words.

"Hey, Qrow?"

Glancing over at his smiling sister, Qrow arched an eyebrow. "What's up Raven?"

"Let's go to Beacon one day. Let's become hunters together and bring pride to our family." Turning to face him, Raven smiled. A bright, eager fire burned behind her eyes. One that Qrow himself, shared with her.

"I planned on becoming a hunter anyways. You'll just make it a better experience" Qrow smirked, "I mean who doesn't want to kick butt with their sister?"

"Really?! Yes!" Raven cheered as she leapt at Qrow, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him into a hug. "You're awesome!"

"Hahaha thanks, Raven." Holding his sister, Qrow steadied himself as Raven almost knocked him off his feet. "Now come on, we oughta get home. They will be worried about us."

"I guess you're right, should we just walk out in a straight line? We'd have get out sometime." Stepping away from her brother Raven spun on her heel and pointed in between two trees "Onward! Let's make it back home!"

Smiling, Raven took off through the trees, Qrow trailing behind her.

 _Edwards Home, Vale._

"Didn't Raven and I make it out of that forest?"

"No, the two of you got lost further into the forest. Raven told me that the two of you cut through the trees and wound up walking into the Emerald forest. When I found you, you two were running from a pack of Beowulf's."

Qrow cringed in his seat, the memory of his cowardice settling in the forefront of his mind. "Ahh, that's right. We tried to take on a wounded Grimm and then got ambushed, Raven wanted to fight but I made her run. I was a coward back then."

"Hardly… a hunter needs to know when to back down, when to run. The two of you were heavily outnumbered, death was almost a certainty." Shuffling over to Qrow, Karin leaned into the arm of the loveseat. "You made the right decision, you saved your sister's life. Be proud."

"I guess, it didn't really save our relationship though." Glancing up at the old woman, Qrow sighed. "When we graduated- no. Even before, Raven and I began to butt heads over our family. In the end I decided to leave, I couldn't deal with their _ideals_ any longer."

"Ideals? What did they believe in?"

"Well, they believed that force was the way to survive. Gain as much power as you could, and then use it to crush your foes." Looking down at his palm, Qrow balled his hand up into a fist. "I never agreed with that way of thinking, but Raven did. It caused a rift between us."

"I see…" Frowning, Karin looked up at the ceiling. "Oh! I have the perfect idea!" Pushing her cane into the floor, Karin stood up straight and shuffled towards a doorway in the back of the room. "Ed! Grab me the box I keep under the floorboard!"

There was a muffled grumble in response before a large cardboard box slid across the floor and stopped in front of Karin. She smiled and bent over slightly to pick it up, before walking back over to Qrow. "Here, you and Raven put this together while you were staying with us." Extending her arm, Karin laid the box on the arm of the chair. "Open it when you two are on good terms again, if that day never comes then give it to your child."

"Hahaha! Me? Have a child? No way in hell. My only partner is my alcohol, anything above and beyond that is not for me." Standing up, Qrow buttoned up his shirt and grabbed the box. "I'll see you around grandma." Smiling, he walked past Karin and made his way to the front door where his sword was leaning against the wall. "Thanks for patching me up, it means a lot." Slipping his weapon into the holster sewn into the back of his shirt, Qrow left.

"Huh? Did I do something wrong?" Resting her free hand on her cane, Karin squinted as she tried to figure out what made him leave in such a hurry.

"You made him feel guilty. Nothing we can do about it though, so don't worry." Edward whispered as he came out of the room, holding a picture of Qrow and Raven when they were young. "They looked up to us, Qrow more so than Raven."

"But how did I make him feel guilty? I didn't say anything bad…"

"Exactly. He told you that he left his sister and his family something that most people would be shunned for, but you just accepted it and moved on. I'm sure he was expecting you to be upset, so when you weren't he felt bad for doubting you."

"Really…?" Looking up at her husband, Karin smiled and leaned into him. She felt him nod silently. "Okay then, I'm happy that he hasn't changed too much."

"As am I." Edward planted a chaste kiss on the top of his wife's head before glancing at the door. ' _He has changed a lot internally. He used to suck at lying, and now… well even_ I _almost believed him._ '

 _?, Vale._

"Damn it, why did I have to run into them? As if I didn't feel crappy enough already." Kicking the gravel road in front of him, Qrow stared at the ground, "and what hell was with giving me this box? For my kid? Like I deserve one..."

The veteran hunter moped as he kept the old couple's home to his back. Shaking his head, Qrow looked up and inhaled deeply. "I'm not going to chance another encounter like that. Besides, I've got to clear my head." Picking up his pace, Qrow broke into a run before he jumped into the air while clutching the box to his chest. Closing his eyes, Qrow felt his body change into that of a crow. ' _Now, back to Beacon.'_

* * *

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

* * *

"Sooo… this _whole_ place is mine?"

"Yes. You will be living here alongside Qrow during your time at Beacon. We already got his consent, so you don't have to worry about anything but getting to class on time." Glynda said as she leaned into the doorframe, watching the young girl waltz around the flat her eyes alight with curiosity. "Your uniform is on the bed in the master bedroom, and your schedule is posted on the fridge. After your third period tomorrow I will meet you in the cafeteria to give you the rest of your material. Until then, have a good day."

"Huh? You're leaving me alone Ms Glynda?" Shio questioned as she spun around to stare at the professor.

"Yes, I have a class to teach." Pushing off the wall, Glynda walked up to Shio and handed her a pair of keys. "I will see you in class tomorrow."

"A-Ah! Wait-" Shio was cut off when the door to her new flat slammed shut. "Up…" Her head dropped as a familiar weight fell onto her shoulders.

Qrow's flat was only one floor, but it had several rooms, a large living room, a kitchen and a decent sized dining room. The floors were a dark hardwood, that seemed to flow into the milk white walls.

Shio stood in the living room, behind her was a long white leather couch on top of a white rug. Directly in front of her was a mahogany coffee table with a few bottles of half-empty beer tucked underneath the top section. A thin, seventy inch television was built into the wall, with two sets of speakers around it.

A series of round, panel lights dotted the ceiling throughout the flat, each one emitting a bright white light. There wasn't a single shadow in sight. In the corner, a set of light gray curtains covered a window that overlooked the downtown Vale.

"Ms Glynda doesn't live too far from here but…" Looking around her, Shio sighed. "She has more to do."

Pouting, she wandered down the hall and stopped in front of a large wooden door. "Is this my room?" Grabbing the handle of the door, Shio pushed it open and walked into the dark room. "I can't see anything… well that's a lie." Smiling to herself, Shio walked further into the room.

There was a king sized bed in the centre of the room and a large walk in closet directly beside it. A small wooden chest was positioned at the foot of the bed and a black rug was set underneath the bed and chest. The walls and floor were the same as they were in the rest of the house. Overhead, Shio could see a single round panel light directly over the bed, lighting the room up.

"Hmm? Is this my uniform?" Approaching the bed, Shio frowned as she looked over the clothes on the bed. ' _I kinda have to wear it but I hate the way normal clothes feel on me.'_ Pouting, Shio picked up the top and sighed. "I'll bear with it for the first day, if it's too much then I'll get rid of it."

Tossing the top of her uniform onto the bed, Shio spun on her heel and walked out into the main hall of the flat. Glancing at the tv, Shio smiled and wandered over to it. "Ah! I can see myself!" Leaning over, Shio gaped at the tv screen fascinated by her own reflection.

Lifting her hand up, she pressed her finger against the bottom of the tv making it come alive. A flash of bright light filled her vision and she stumbled backwards "Kyaaa!" Letting out a cry of surprise, Shio tripped up in the carpet and fell to the ground landing on her bottom. "Nngh…"

Rubbing her eyes with her hands, she quietly groaned in frustration. "How mean, Ms Glynda could have told me how it works. That kinda scared me, it reminded me of being back home." Looking up, Shio stared at the picture on the screen. A white haired reporter was talking about an explosion near the outskirts of Vale, several were confirmed dead and many others were seriously injured.

"That reminds me of home too. All of the announcements about fallen God Eaters…" Laying back, Shio stared up at the ceiling "I remember the first time I ever met a God Eater." Closing her eyes, she thought back to the fight with a Kongou.

 _?,?_

"I asked if you were okay."

"O-Kay?" Shio mimicked as she stared up at the man in front of her.

He had black hair that reached his chin and swept over his right eye. His eyes were hazel and he sported a warm smile as he looked down at Shio. The man wore a dark brown vest that was only half zipped, exposing the upper half of his torso underneath a dark brown trench coat which stopped at his knees. It was unzipped and fluttered in the wind slightly behind him. The coat was adorned with two buttoned up pockets on each side by the man's waist and two on the left side of his chest. In addition, he wore a pair of baggy gray cargo pants that were tucked into a pair of burgundy knee high boots strapped together by six gold bands. The man also wore a pair of brown fingerless gloves with a large red bracelet around his left wrist.

He rested his weapon on his shoulder, it was a long red blade easily twice his size. There were nine silver chainsaw teeth sticking out, each one stained in a dark red from the Kongou they had just mercilessly torn through. There were three exhaust pipes tilted upwards on top of each other on the back of his weapon, starting from the very top and travelling down to a gray box that was welded to the hilt. The exhaust pipes were the same red as the rest of the weapon, and three gray bands held them in place with the help of a black structure by the very top of the exhaust.

"Yeah, like you alive? Bleeding? Hurt? Mentally scarred?" The man knelt down and look at Shio who gaped back.

"S-So many words…"

"..." Scratching his head, the man frowned. "Hey, let's start here. I'm Lindow Amamiya, expert God Eater and connoisseur of alcohol."

"Canasewer…?" Shio tilted her head to the side as Lindow spoke, the word confusing her. "Uhmm, what's that mean?"

"Connoisseur? It's mean that I'm an expert when it comes to alcohol." Lindow clarified before shaking his head. "Don't worry about that, what's your name?"

"Name…? I don't have a name."

"How about I give you one? It would be awkward just calling you kid." Smiling at Shio, Lindow pushed himself up as rested his free hand on his waist.

"Really?! You're going to name me?"

Nodding, Lindow thought to himself for a bit. Groaning when he drew a blank he glanced down into Shio's hopeful eyes. "Shi-Oh, I can't swear in front of a kid. Sorry about that." Raising his hand in apology, Lindow furrowed his brows in confusion when he saw the wide smile on Shio's face.

"Shio? I love it!" Shio cheered as she held her hands up into the air, her voice brimming with happiness.

"Uhh, Yeah! That's totally what I came up with haha…" Looking away, Lindow chuckled nervously as Shio basically named herself. Glancing back, he found the spot where Shio stood to be empty. "The hell?" Turning around, Lindow's eyes widened as he saw Shio kneeling beside the corpse of the Kongou, a sickening crunch filling the air. ' _She's eating it?'_

 _Qrow/Shio's flat, Vale_

"Mr Lindow was so surprised when he saw me eating, it took him a while to calm down haha." Giggling quietly, Shio smiled longingly. "I… I wanna go home."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Shio rubbed her eyes. "What is this feeling? My eyes are hurting, and my heart feels heavy. I don't like this." Sitting up, Shio pulled her knees into her chest and stared at the floor. "Captain, Alisa, Kota, Sakuya, Lindow, Soma… I hope you are all okay." Closing her eyes, Shio found herself falling asleep on the living room floor.

Shio slept until the morning. When the first chirps of birds filled the room, her eyes shot open. Golden eyes squinted as they were met with the harsh morning sunlight. "Mmm… I don't wanna get up yet…"

Groaning, Shio pushed herself up off the ground and stretched. "Aaahhnnn, what did I have to do today…?" Yawning, the young girl wandered into the kitchen and glanced at the paper on the fridge " _Advanced Combat Tactics with Professor Goodwitch. Room 1304."_ Shio read the first block aloud and was about to walk away when she saw the small note written next to the block. " _The bell sounds at nine, don't be late Shio. -Glynda"_

"Nine?" Looking over at the stove, Shio felt her stomach drop. 9:17. "No! Ms Glynda is going to be so angry!" Running out of the kitchen, Shio slid around the corner and barrelled down the hallway to her bedroom. Flinging the door open, Shio quickly shed her dress and left it in a pile by the foot of her bed. "I hope I'm not too late…" Grabbing her uniform, Shio changed and ran back out into the lobby. Looking at the door, Shio spotted a pair of shoes and slipped into them while running out the front door, letting it slam shut behind her.

 _Department of Combat, Beacon_

"As you progress throughout this class, you and your partner will develop a bond, as will you and your team. Each of you will learn how every member of your team fights and moves. You will be tasked to create battle strategies and build upon existing tactics utilizing these newfound strengths." Glynda walked up to the front of the lecture hall and let her eyes scan the crowd of students. "Am I understood?"

""Yes!""

A thunderous response echoed throughout the large room making Glynda smile. "Very good, now. It appears that we are one student short." Glancing over to the centre of the hall, she stared at the two metal doors that made up the entrance ' _Late on her first day? Not a good first impression Shio…'_

As if those words were a signal, the two doors flew open and Shio burst into the room. "I-I'm here!" Much like the other students, Shio wore a red plaid skirt that reached her mid-thighs with a open tan vest and white shirt tucked into her skirt. There was a red ribbon tied around her collar. Her shoes were black flats and she wore white knee high socks. "Sorry I'm late, I kinda slept in…"

"Clearly. Just take a seat." Glynda glared at the young girl who nodded and rushed to a nearby seat and sat down. "Very good. Now that we're all here l can finally begin with our first lesson. As I was saying earlier, you will all learn how your partners' fight but before you can do that you must learn to analyze how your _opponent_ fights. In order to help you grasp and refine this skill, we will dedicate a day of sparring amongst the class every week. Today, is the first time we will try this."

A wave of murmurs and whispers floated around the room as the students felt themselves growing excited and competitive. "Your sparring partner will be decided at random. Is everybody ready?"

""Yes Professor!""

Smiling, Glynda pulled out her scroll and pressed a small green button that appeared on the screen. Seconds later, a large hologram appeared on the wall with two columns of the students portraits spinning vertically. "First up is…" The left column stopped on the leader of team JNPR and the left stopped on the leader of team CRDL. "Jaune Arc vs Cardin Winchester."

A tall, fairly built teen perked up when his name was called. Grinning, Cardin shirked off his bag and stood up glancing at the smaller blonde who was all but shaking in his seat. As opposed to Jaunes' smaller frame and fairly common looks,

Cardin had burnt orange hair that was combed back, there was a slight peak in the front. He had indigo eyes and wore a silver gray chest plate with gold trimmings. Underneath his armor, he wore a black t-shirt with red trimmings and black pants with a red belt.

"Can you really call this a spar? It's basically just flat out murder. The little shit won't even be able to touch me." Cardin sneered as he stood up and strolled down to the floor of the hall. "Well come on then Jauney-boy, let's have some fun!" Pulling his mace out, he swung it around in his hand as he grinned at the blonde teen. Cardin wielded a large, black mace with ten flat flanges and a red dust crystal in the centre held in place by four black claws.

Jaune blanched at the thought of his fight, his legs quivering. He was supposed to fight him? Impossible, Cardin towered over him, he wasn't even half his size! Groaning, the leader of team JNPR stood up and sulked down to the centre, standing across from Cardin. "So, uhm… may the best man win?" Offering up a meek smile, Jaune flinched as Glynda sounded the start of the duel.

"Just try not to die, loser." Stepping forward, Cardin gripped the handle of his mace and swung it at Jaune, grinning as he felt the side of his weapon crash into Jaune's ribs. "Come on! You want me to fight somebody that can't even use his Aura as a shield?" Turning to glare at Glynda, Cardin shook his head smiling. "Are you sure that you don't want to make him back out now? He can't win."

"Mr Winchester, please focus on the fight. Talk gets you nowhere." Sighing, Glynda watched Cardin scoff and focus his attention back on the fight.

"Get the hell up." Storming over to the downed boy, Cardin swung his right leg forward driving his foot into Jaunes gut sending the smaller teen rolling a few feet away. Frowning, Cardin stalked over to the downed boy and crouched in front of him. "You know, that hot partner of yours is watching. She must be absolutely devastated to have a pathetic little weakling like you fighting beside her, maybe I should show her what a real partner is like? I don't mind leaving the three idiots on my team for yours, just imaging how happy she will be when you're gone. You should just go home, this isn't a school for weaklings." He spoke in a hushed whisper. Would he make good on his threats? Probably not, but Jaune didn't know that.

"Shut… up." Gritting his teeth, Jaune began to push himself up off the ground. "An asshole like you doesn't deserve to even look at Pyrrha, let alone think about her." Now on one knee, Jaune grabbed the hilt of his sword and ripped it out of its sheath. "She's far too kind for the likes of you!" Swinging his blade at Cardin, Jaune felt his sword make impact, sending Cardin stumbling back a few feet holding his cheek.

"You cut me… you bastard!" Furiously, Cardin roared as he charged at the recovering Jaune and swung his mace upwards, catching Jaunes chin. The other boy let out a cry of pain before he fell back to the ground, his back landing hard against the floor. "I'll make you pay for that!" Lifting the mace above his head, Cardin brought it down into Jaunes chest making the boy cry out. "Trying to act tough? Well here's tough kid!" Slamming his mace down again, Cardin smirked as he watched the once pristine chest plate dent and crack. "This is what you get for stepping out of line punk!" Activating the dust crystal in his mace Cardin prepared to seriously injure Jaune, only to find his body paralyzed.

"That's enough. You have won, now return to your seat. Any further violence will result in a suspension, do you understood?" Glynda's voice was stern as she glared at the bully, who just sighed and walked away once he was able to move his body once again.

"The teachers aren't gonna save your ass all the time, you need to wake up and get strong. Hiding behind others is nothing but an act of cowardice. If you want to pick up the broken shards of your pride just let me know. I'll take you on any time."

As Cardin walked back to his seat, he felt the glares of some of the other students, two more clearly than others.

"You didn't need to be so harsh…" A hushed voice called out from beside him. It was Dove Bronzewing, a member of team CRDL. He had light-brown hair that was combed to the left. He wore a near permanent squint, making it look like his eyes were closed half the time. Unlike his leader, Dove wore the male version of Beacons' uniform. The only difference from Shio's was the skirt, which was switched outfit a pair of black dress pants.

"I didn't have to go easy on him either. If a weakling like him wants to get somewhere in life he needs a reason. He needs a drive that will push him past him limits and turn him into the man he desires to be."

"I'm guessing that you intend to push him to that point?" Dove questioned as he watched Pyrrha rush down to Jaune, who was just starting to sit up. "It's a risky gamble Cardin, there's no guarantee it'll work."

"No. I intend to push him to that point and then break him." Cardin's eyes darkened as he too watched the red head help Jaune back to his seat. ' _That's what strength is. Strength is pain and hardships, dealing with shit that wants to make you hide in a hole._ '

 _Team RWBY, Glyndas' Class._

"What an asshole."

"Yang!" Ruby snapped as she glared at her sister, who offered up an apathetic shrug.

"Tell me I'm wrong Ruby. Just because you're stronger than somebody doesn't give you the right to humiliate your opponent. Fighting somebody is a sign of respect, using it as a way to assert one's dominance is just disgusting." Crossing her arms over her chest, Yang frowned watching the injured Jaune sit down. "I only ask for a minute with that prick. I'll make him apologize for what he did."

"You'll only be stooping to his level Yang." Weiss murmured as she leaned back into her seat, despite her usual haughtiness even she felt a little sick to her stomach. "Though, maybe a lesson or two would be okay… just this once."

"Ahem! The winner of that… spar… is Cardin Winchester. Jaune Arc lost because he let himself get backed into a corner and had no way to defend against his opponent. I hope the next two partners give a better performance." Glynda raised her voice to get the attention of the students. The air in the class was tense, but Glynda pressed on with the event.

Behind her, the hologram came alive as the two columns spun one again.

"Who do you think it's gonna be?" Nora whispered as she leaned into Ren. Making her partner move away.

"No clue. Now shush."

"O-" Whatever Nora was going to say was cut off by Glynda.

"Blake Belladonna vs…" Glancing at the second column Glynda grit her teeth. ' _I knew we had to give her a last name… but this? I can already feel the migraine.'_ Rubbing her temples, Glynda announced Blake's opponent "Shio _Branwen._ "

"Branwen?! Like uncle Qrow?!" Ruby exclaimed as she spun her head, locking eyes with Shio's wide golden eyes. "Does that make us… cousins?" Tilting her head to the side, Ruby watched Shio stand up and slowly walk down to the empty floor.

Ignoring her sister, Yang glanced at her partner "Take it easy, don't be too harsh on her."

"Don't worry." Blake said curtly before standing up and walking down the staircase, only stopping when she stood where Jaune once was. Grabbing the hilt of her Katana, Blake held it in a reverse grip by her waist while her free hand carried the metal sheath. The blade of her katana was extremely sharp and dark gray in colour, there was a small hole on the bottom of the hilt for her built in striker pistol to fire from. The sheath in her free hand was a dark gray and it was fairly thick. The two edges was extremely sharp, over all it looked like an oversized cleaver.

"The rules are simple, first one whose aura drops to zero is the loser. Hopefully you are both listening, I don't want a repeat of last match." Both girls nodded "Good. Now as for Ms Belladonna, gunfire is prohibited inside the building so please refrain from using your firearms."

"Of course. I wouldn't want to hit somebody by accident." Blake agreed before she locked eyes with Shio. ' _I will make you talk.'_

"Can we begin Ms Glynda?" Shio piped up, smiling widely. ' _I have a last name, yay!'_ Cheering in her head, Shio barely made out the go signal from Glynda.

Blake and Shio stood in silence for a minute before the first move was made. Blake launched herself towards Shio while gripping the handle of her Katana. In seconds, the dark haired teen had her blade against Shio's throat.

"Woaaahh! You're fast, not as fast as Ms Ruby but still fast!" Shio whispered amazed before her feet left the ground, having being swept out from under her by Blake. Shio hit the ground with a thud and found herself staring at the tall ceiling.

Dropping to one knee beside the smaller girl, Blake pressed the edge of her Katana into Shio's throat threateningly. "Is this really the time to be admiring my speed? Why don't you draw your weapon and fight back?"

Shio smiled and looked into the amber eyes of the girl that was leaning over her. "I only use Arius when I feel threatened, and I'm sorry but you don't seem that strong…"

"When you fe- there is a blade against your throat! How can't you feel threatened!" Blake snapped prompting Shio to sigh.

"I'll show you I guess." Putting her hands on the ground beside her, Shio began to sit up, the edge of Blake's weapon digging into Shio's neck however no blood was drawn. "See? Why would I feel threatened if you can't cut me?"

Up in the seats, team RWBY watched in awe as Shio sat up with no regard for the blade against her throat. "Even with aura, a strike from that distance would be devastating. Doesn't she care about her life?"

Clenching her fists, Yang shrugged "I don't know." She was too focused on Blake to worry about whether or not Weiss's concerns had a base. ' _Don't freak Blake, just relax._ '

"What do you mean I can't cut you? Is that your semblance? Some kind of shield?" Blake questioned as she jumped back, landing in front of Glynda while Shio climbed to her feet.

"Semblance? No, I don't know what my semblance is. All I know is that no matter how hard you try you won't cut me, I'm sorry but it's true." Taking a slow step forward, Shio help her hand out to the side as she stared at Blake. "But seeing how badly you want me to fight back, I will." The familiar weight of Arius fell into Shio's hand, her slender fingers gripping the hilt before she smiled. "Let's have fun, okay?"

Glancing up at the display above them, Blake ran her eyes over the Aura gauges. Due to Shio's fall just now, Blake was slightly in the lead. "Let's."

Shio's eyes lit up before she launched herself towards the older teen. Slashing diagonally, Arius met the side of Blake's sheath, sending her skidding backwards. ' _She's strong.'_ Steadying herself, Blake began to focus her aura into her semblance and waited.

Her patience paid off when Shio jumped up and over to Blake before spinning on her right heel and lashing out with her left. The result was an explosion of ash and dust forcing her to close her eyes. "Ugh!" Shaking her head, she smiled. "That reminds me of home! Thank you Ms Blake." Loosening her grip on Arius, Shio took a risk ' _Nobody can see me sooo… here I go!'_

Shio swung Arius in a wide arc around her, letting her blade thicken, a long slit opening up along the length of the blade before it began to devour the dust. As the dust began to disappear, Shio tapped on the hilt of Arius making it return to its normal state. "Hey! Show me some more Ms Blake! I wasn't really looking forward to this fight, but I'm excited now!"

From the sidelines, Glynda watched as Shio's weapon reverted. ' _Odd. So her weapon absorbs what's around her? How… unique.'_ Pushing her glasses up, she looked away from the fight and up at the display. ' _Neither side has taken much damage, usually i'd step in at this point but Ozpin wants them to follow this to the end.'_ Glynda was pulled from her thoughts by the sight of Blake rolling to a stop on the ground.

Blake had recklessly charged in, attempting to take her opponent down but was met with the back of Shio's weapon. The air rapidly left her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath while Shio stabbed Arius into the ground and lifted herself up into the air, spinning and swinging her right leg out. Blakes head shot to the side from the impact before she hit the ground, rolling into a far wall from the impact.

"No way!" Ruby exclaimed from her seat as she watched Blake's Aura gauge drop almost all the way down from just two hits.

"I'd expect power like that from a professional hunter, not a child…" Weiss muttered, her eyes wide as she gaped at the sight of her fallen teammate.

The only other member of team RWBY narrowed her eyes. ' _Blake is right… maybe we do need to talk to Shio about who she actually is.'_ Standing up, Yang squeezed past her sister and rushed down to the floor making her way over to Blake.

The blonde teen crouched down and poked her partner's cheek, smiling as Blake glared up at her. "I lost didn't I?"

"Yup. You kinda got your ass handed to you." Grabbing Blake's hand, Yang stood up pulling her partner to her feet as well. "But it looked like you learned some of what you were looking for right?"

"Yang, I know you don't li-"

"I'll help you."

"Pardon? I thought you were all buddy-buddy with her…" Blake whispered, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "What changed?"

"She kicked my partner across a room. That's what changed." Draping her arm around Blake, she slowly walked back to their seats making it halfway before Shio called out to them.

"Is Ms Blake okay…? I hit her a bit harder than I wanted too…" Shio asked as she looked down, a wave of guilt washing over her. "It was only a spar but I went too far. I'm sorry." Bowing her head, Shio genuinely apologized.

"Umm… it's okay. Seriously, I let my guard down." Brushing off Shio's apology, Blake walked back to her seat alone and sat down. Yang and Shio exchanged a brief look before she returned to her partner.

' _What did I do…? I understand Ms Blake, but Ms Yang? She seems upset with me.'_ Nodding absentmindedly when Glynda announced the winner, she slowly walked back up to the back of the class. On her way up, she stopped beside Cardin and smiled, "You took it too far in your spar, but it's okay. I know that you have a reason." Without waiting for a response, Shio left the wide eyed bully to himself and returned to her seat.

Back in the front of the class, Glynda rubbed her temples before shaking her head. "Class dismissed. Please make your way to your next class, immediately." Turning on her heel, Glynda stalked to the staff exit while her students gathered their things and began to leave.

Ruby wasted no time in rushing over to Shio, her eyes sparkling. "You're like super strong! I mean, I knew you were tough but that was insane!" The scythe wielder exclaimed as she knelt down beside Shio and grinned.

"Uhmm… T-Thanks?" Shio forced a shaky smile, she was happy that at least Ruby seemed normal but that didn't mean she felt better. She wanted to figure out why Yang and Blake seemed upset with her, but she didn't know how to go about it. "Say, can I ask you a question?"

"Huh? A question? Sure!" Ruby nodded, giving Shio her complete attention.

"Did I upset Ms Blake or Ms Yang?"

"Oh… well, I think Blake might be a little grumpy because she lost, but I don't believe either of them are actually upset with you!" Standing up, Ruby motioned for Shio to follow her "Come on, let's go talk to them!" Spinning on her heel, Ruby walked blindly into what felt like a wall "Gah!" Stumbling backwards, she grabbed the edge of the desk to steady herself.

"Move kid, you're in my way." Cardin grumbled as he pushed past Ruby and all but flung the door open, leaving the room in a rage followed by his team.

"Ms Ruby, are you okay?!"

"Uh huh, just got me off guard is all…" Ruby nodded before grabbing Shio's hand. "Do me a favour and just call me Ruby 'Kay? I don't mind, really!" Pulling Shio from her seat, Ruby dragged the young girl down to her team "Hey! Yang, Blake, I have a question!"

Panicking, Shio dug her heels into the ground and groan as she was slowly pulled towards the rest of team RWBY. "M- Ruby! You don't need to ask them…!"

"Relax!" Glancing over her shoulder, she grabbed Shio's hand with her free hand and pulled the reluctant girl over to her group. "Hah! I win!" Ruby cheered, holding Shio still while she puffed her cheek out pouting.

"What's up sis?"

"Are you and Blake upset with Shio for some reason?" Blunt as can be, Ruby voiced her question. The two girls in question raised their brows in response while Weiss just shook her head.

"Hmph, day one of being a team and there is already drama. Have fun." Grabbing her bags, Weiss left her team behind and walked up the stairs, heading for the door.

"Bye!" There was no response, only the slamming of the rooms doors. "I guess she is upset too…" Dropping her head, Shio stared at the ground. ' _Maybe I just upset people because of who I am…'_

"Yes. I don't know about Yang, but personally, I'm upset." Looking down, Blake took a few short steps and crouched down in front of Shio. "You can make me happy though."

Shio peeked up, her heart racing. "How?"

"Tell me how you found out." Her voice was quiet, not wanting to be exposed just yet. "You knew I was Faunus, and you knew it was a cat attribute. Tell me how."

Looking away, Shio frowned. ' _I don't wanna tell her… what is she starts hating me because I'm not human?'_ Nodding her head, she prepared herself and answered. "Your bow was lopsided…" ' _I could smell it.'_ "I saw your ears in the dark, no one else saw. Don't worry." ' _I knew you weren't human, just like me.'_

Blake's eyes widened, a bright blush covering her cheeks. "O-Oh… I see. Well…" Standing up straight, she rubbed the top of Shio's head and forced a smile. "In that case don't worry about it. I was mistaken." Blake pushed past Shio and Ruby hurriedly, gritting her teeth. Meanwhile, her partner reassured Shio.

"Don't worry Kiddo. You and I are cool, I was just thrown off by your strength. You're totally kickass!" Yang cheered, punching at the air. "Just keep being you, don't worry about what others think. Now we're going to be late. Let's go!" Ushering her sister and Shio back, Yang began to drag them behind her. ' _Blake's not done yet… whatever answer she got only seemed to calm her down. I need to make sure that she doesn't do anything rash.'_

The four remaining students that made up team JNPR sat silently in their seats. The first to make a move was, surprisingly, their leader. "Come on, let's go to second period, I don't wanna be late the same day I got my ass kicked haha." Standing up, Jaune grabbed his bag and motioned for his team to follow him.

"Hold on! I know you said you're fine, but are you really okay?" Ren voiced his concerns as he and the two girls stood up, following after Jaune. "You don't have to act strong with us, we know that is was tough…"

"..."

"He's right Jaune. We'll listen if you wish to speak, all you need to do is ask." Walking up to Jaunes side, Pyrrha laid her hand in his shoulder.

"I can figure out where his dorm is and trash it!" Nora suggested as she skipped over to her Leader, grinning playfully as she watched him chuckle.

"Thanks guys, but honestly… I want to beat him myself." Balling his hands into fists, Jaune nodded. 'Yeah. This is something that I need to do by myself. Cardin needs help, and I intend to offer that help.'

"I say this as your friend." Ren crossed his arms and leaned against a brown bench. "You aren't strong enough. It's suicide."

"I'll chip away at him then. Time after time, I'll confront him until the day comes that I can beat him." Squeezing his eyes shut, Jaune inhaled deeply. ' _and on_ _that day, I will break his shell. Just like I saw my father break my brothers. Cardin needs to be saved, and I will be the one to save him._ ' Opening his eyes, Jaune smile "But before that, I've got to get used to getting punched first haha…" Scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Looking up at the wall, he saw the clock turn on the hour. "Late! We're going to be late!" Sprinting out of the class, he ignored the sounds of his teams laughter as they followed after him.

Jaune was changing. He no longer felt the fear of loss, instead he felt the fear of disappointment. This new feeling spurred him on, a newfound urge to protect and serve blossoming in his soul. ' _I will save you from yourself Cardin. Mark my words!'_ The blonde teen sprinted with his team along the empty halls of Beacon, desperately trying to make it to class on time. Unbeknownst to them all, two pairs of eyes watched them run from high above.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes Ozpin. Her sword _changed_ and absorbed Ms Belladonna's dust. It seems that she went into the spar on guard, when she activated her semblance, the clone exploded when it was destroyed as opposed to cracking and breaking down." Pushing her glasses up, Glynda turned away from the window and wandered into the centre of Ozpin's office. "The dust surrounded Shi- Ms Branwen and rendered her blind for a few seconds. That's when I saw it."

Ozpin scowled, tearing his eyes away from the running students. "That is… troublesome." Turning away from the window, he locked eyes with Glynda "and you said that Shio told Ms. Belladonna that she couldn't cut her?"

"Yes, and she was right. She sat up, and tore herself away from a sharpened blade with no visible injury and minor Aura damage."

"Aura damage? She can manifest her aura?" Glynda nodded in response to Ozpin's question. "We must-"

A loud ringing filled the room as Ozpin's scroll rang. Holding his hand up, he pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"

" _We have a problem Ozpin"_

"Lionheart? What is it…?" Ozpin's voice echoed throughout his silent office.

" _Two men just wiped out my advance party. I managed to detain them, but I fear they may have connections to_ _ **her**_ _. Can you come and lend a hand?"_

"..." Ozpin hesitated, sure they were in an alliance, but it was flimsy. Would he be able to leave his academy behind?

" _I know you're concerned. So how about this, I'll meet you halfway and hand them off to you. I'll be the first the admit that your holding cells are better than mine. Is that acceptable? You won't even have to leave Vale."_

"Fine. Make sure they are disarmed, I'll meet you outside of our usual spot, leave now." The line went dead soon after, leaving a tense silence in its absence.

"Had _she_ made her move?"

"Possibly, Glynda. Keep an eye on Beacon for me, I'll be no more than three days." Grabbing his cane, Ozpin walked past Glynda making for his office doors.

"Be careful."

"I'm always careful." The heavy doors slammed shut behind him, marking the beginning of his First journey in years.

* * *

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

* * *

The earth shook under the heavy footsteps of a Goliath. It had the appearance of a South African elephant, minus the pitch black skin and grimm mask. Long ears hung down past it's jaw and two lengthy tusks jutted out from its upper lip, a slight upward curve gracing the tusks. With legs like trees, and hide like steel, this giant Grimm wasn't one that many hunters messed with.

They travelled in packs, however this particular one had strayed far from its group. It's steps were uneven, some were long strides while others were shuffles. The Goliath mewed in pain as I leaned against a nearby building. The stone crumbled under its weight and broke apart, bringing the giant Grimm down with it.

" _ **Nngaaaa…"**_ Laying on the cobblestone ground, its ruby red eyes looked around. There were several small houses, each one collapsed or run down. Two walls enclosed what must have once been a town. As the Goliath relished in its moment of painlessness, its underbelly moved.

" _ **NNNAAA!**_ " The Goliath roared in pain as a rounded edge tore through its stomach. A loud revving filled the air as the edge began to rotate revealing several extremely sharp metallic teeth.

One by one the teeth cut through the hide before it began to move along the length of the stomach, cutting it in half. The edge was pulled back into the belly before a hand shot out, gripping one side of the ripped hide and pulled the man inside out. Soma Schicksal slid out onto the rocky ground below him. "Last time I ever listen to you…" He grumbled as he stared up at the cloudy sky overhead.

"Doubt it. I mean, I am your leader after all." Following after Soma was Mithgail, using the open hole to climb through and jump down. "But thanks, you took the fall for me." Grinning, he extended his hand for Soma, who grabbed it.

"Just shut up." Glaring at his Leader, Soma shook his head. "Why didn't we die…" Talking more to himself, Soma glanced down at his hands having sent his weapon back into his bracelet.

"Because we're awesome and integral to some kind of scheme. If we died here what would happen to the world?" Mithgail wandered around to the front of the Goliath and kicked it. ' _New Aragami? No, we would have been devoured inside of it if it was an Aragami. What are you?'_ Crouching down, Mithgail leaned closer to the Grimm only to jump back when it twitched and began to dissolve.

"The same thing it's doing now, surviving. Our deaths would mean nothing in the grand scheme." Soma muttered as he walked over to his leader.

"That's why we need to make ourselves mean something. Mother Earth is a bitch, she only respects the strong and condemns the weak. Humans were weak in her eyes, that's why she made the Oracle cells. To wipe us out." Wrapping his arm around Soma's neck, Mithgail pulled him into a one-armed hug "but look at us! Still alive and even more badass than ever. I mean, we just cut ourselves out of a monster."

"You're insane."

"That I am partner, and you love me for it."

Shrugging Mithgail's arm off, Soma turned away "Whatever. Come on, let's find out where we are, this isn't Aegis."

"Oh! You're right, this doesn't look like Aegis island. It's too alive." Spinning around, Mithgail watched Soma walk down the cobblestone road, heading towards one of the many exits. "H-Hey! Wait up!" Leaving the dissolving Goliath behind, he chased after his friend.

 _?,?_

"Hey! There's a sign up ahead."

"I can see that." Soma grumbled as he and Mithgail walked up to the wooden post in the middle of a forked path. "Kuroyuri to the left and Mistral to the right."

"Let's go right."

"Hmm?" Glancing over his shoulder, Soma narrowed his eyes as he saw Mithgail glaring at the path to Kuroyuri. "What's up Cap?"

"That path reeks of death. Until we know where we are and what inhabits this world, I refuse to take any chances." Turning right, Mithgail began down the path to Mistral. "You weren't wrong when you said this wasn't Aegis, but I think it's more than that."

"What do you mean?" Soma queried as he walked alongside Mithgail, both men on their way to Mistral.

"The moon is shattered. Shio's home… it's not whole in this world. I refuse to believe that we are still on earth. I refuse to believe our moon was destroyed."

"..." Looking up, Soma frowned. Mithgail was right, he could barely make it out through the clouds but he saw the sorry state of the moon. Shattered and cracked. ' _Deusphage level oracle cells covered our moon, it would be damn near impossible to destroy it.'_ Looking back to his Leader, Soma smiled faintly. "You're right."

"I know I am! When am I ever wrong?" Mithgail grinned before holding a gloved hand up. "Don't answer that. I said it for the effect not for the validity of it."

"Idiot."

"Onwards!" Thrusting his fist outwards, Mithgail continued down the path, a stupid grin on his face as Soma scowled behind him, "You'll spoil your good looks with all that scowling Soma!"

"Don't say that to me. It's weird."

"I plan to break down whatever is left of the barrier between us. By the time we get back home, we will have a bond stronger than diamond."

"Uh-huh." Soma nodded as he tuned Mithgail out, far more intrigued by his surroundings. ' _So much life. This can't be Earth, Mithgail is right.'_ Scratching his head, the darker teen adopted a serious expression "Hey, when we get to Mistral let me talk. Okay?"

"Who ever said I was going to speak? I don't trust them, so why should I give them a way to identify me?" Mithgail grumbled as he jammed his hands into his pockets. "I only speak with my team because I've seen and lived through horrors alongside them. You guys are my family, god knows my actual family is long gone."

Soma's eyes widened slightly. ' _H-He's talking about his past?'_ Picking up his pace, Soma walked ahead of his leader. "What happened…?" ' _They died. What else could've happened you idiot…'_ Mentally chastising himself for his stupid question, Soma waited patiently for his friend to speak.

"..." Glancing into his partner's eyes, Mithgail sighed. "They were killed."

"Aragami?"

"..." Hesitating, Mithgail clenched his teeth and shook his head. "They were killed, let's just leave it at that."

"Halt!"

""Huh?"" Mithgail and Soma both stopped in their tracks and looked around. They were surrounded by men and women all dressed in uniform. They all wore matching black hakama while holding drawn Ōdachi.

"What do you think you're doing?! This is private property!" One of the men called out, his head was shaven and he had dark hazel eyes.

"Private property? What the hell are you talking about?" Soma stepped forward, to which the man dropped into a stance.

"Take one more step and you will be considered a hostile. Tell us why you're here and where you're from."

The two God Eaters shared a look of annoyance before sighing. "We wish to enter Mistral, we don't know where we are right now. We come from Fenrir. I assume you don't want us to pass?" Soma tried to be as civil as he could. Starting a fight would do nothing for them right now.

"If you provide us with the proper identification and a passport I have no problems with letting you through."

They were backed into a corner. They couldn't provide what the man wanted, but walking away didn't seem like an option. It would rouse too much suspicion. "Listen, how about you just escort us in? We don't have identification that would be useful to you."

"Not possible. If you don't have the documentation you cannot enter Mistral. It's the same with the other three kingdoms, don't you know that?" The man narrowed his eyes at the two men, gripping the handle of his Ōdachi.

"Whatever, we'll just le-"

"Soma." Mithgail cut his partner off as he held his hand out. "It's risky, but I can get us in." He kept his voice to a whisper, it would ruin everything if he was heard.

"How?" Moving over Mithgail, Soma split his attention between his leader and the guards.

"I'll start a fight, and get us detained."

"That's insane! We don't know anything about them!" Soma snapped, making Mithgail chuckle.

"Hey, you were the one who used to say _forget the rules, just slice em till they're dead._ Weren't you? Aragami are a lot stronger than humans, so I don't think you have the right to lecture me on knowing my enemy." Mithgail took a step forward as he grinned at Soma "I won't kill them."

"..." Speechless, Soma watched his friend waltz up to the bald man.

"Get back!" Glaring at the approaching man, the guard pointed the tip of his blade at him. "I will attack!"

"..." Stopping right in front of the man, Mithgail leaned on his front foot. ' _The chances of us getting detained are only fifty-fifty. I might have to take them all out and then turn myself in.'_ Spinning around, Mithgail brought his back leg up and round-house kicked the bald man. He stumbled back, dazed, before dropping his Ōdachi and falling to the ground.

"Captain!"

"He killed the Captain!"

"Get him!"

In response to the chorus of battle cries, Soma's brow twitched. "You're an idiot Leader, a pure bred fool. Not that they're any better." Nobody heard him, they were all too focused on taking out the man that 'killed' their Captain while Mithgail dispatched them one after another with kicks and punches.

 _Ten Minutes Later._

"Damn, I'm so used to my Arc. I haven't used close quarters in a while." Shaking hands to relieve the throbbing, Mithgail dropped to his knees and held his hands behind his head. "Soma! Come on, make sure that you look like you did something. Their backup is sure to be here soon."

Shaking his head, Soma walked up to his leader and kneeled beside him. "Did you plan this?"

"Nope. I thought that taking their captain out would deter them from further combat." Mithgail shrugged "It didn't do much so I took them all out, now we just turn ourselves in."

"Haa, you give me a headache."

"The feeling is mutual Soma."

The sound of running filled the air as the reinforcements arrived, just as discovering their fallen comrades, the newcomers flew into a rage and apprehended Soma and Mithgail before dragging them to Mistral, along with the fallen guards.

 _Haven Academy, Mistral._

"Why won't you talk? All I'm asking for is an apology." A tall man loomed over a handcuffed Mithgail. He had sea-green eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. The man sported a trimmed blonde beard and a neat mustache. He wore a gray long-sleeve jacket with a black undershirt along with a pair of black jeans. The man was easily a head and a half taller than Mithgail, though his frame was rather slim. When he spoke, his voice while deep, carried little weight. It was like he was constantly second-guessing and doubting himself. This man was Professor Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven Academy.

"…"

"Fine. What about you? Apologize for your actions and I'll let you both free." Lionheart knelt down, staring at Soma. ' _I'm lying of course, I need to wait for the airship to arrive so I can take them to meet Ozpin.'_

"I'm not apologizing for something I didn't do."

"You were found at the scene of the crime, kneeling beside your accomplice!"

"So what? I was simply there. I didn't lay a hand on those _guards_. If that's what you want to call them." Soma leaned back on his heels and glared at Lionheart. "He's the one who did everything, but at least they're alive like you said."

"Really? You're throwing your friend under the bus like that?" Lionheart stood up, his expression incredulous "Criminals are all the same, cowards." Turning on his heel Lionheart stared out the window of the interrogation room. "Ah, our transport is here. Get up and follow me."

As Lionheart walked away, Mithgail and Soma stood up and followed after him.

"Nice going Captain, you got us into and immediately kicked out if Mistral. Great work." Soma snapped as he walked alongside his captain.

"They mentioned other kingdoms, which means that we can try again. Don't worry."

"Again? You're going to do this again?" Mithgail nodded at Soma's words "Well, you're persistent at least…"

Falling silent, both God Eaters followed the tall man onto a airship of sorts before they were instructed to sit down and stay still. Mithgail and Soma complied easily and sat on the nearest bench, jumping slightly when the airship roared to life and took to the skies.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

"Minor damage?"

"Yes, there is some minor water damage to the display though nothing that will hinder the scrolls performance."

"Thanks." Qrow nodded at the man behind the counter. He had taken his scroll to get it checked out after falling in the water. He was lucky enough to get off with little damage, it could've been far worse.

Walking out of the store, Qrow shifted the box under his arm and began making his way back to Beacon. "Before I see Ozpin I should check in on Shio." Stuffing his scroll back in his pocket, he wandered down the busy streets of a small town a few hours south of Beacon.

He had traveled for a good seven hours after leaving Edward's home. He ended crashing at an inn before continuing his journey. The sleep kept him energized enough to make his way to this town. "My Aura should be back to normal again, once I get out of town I'll take off aga-huh?" He was distracted by the ringing of his scroll in his pocket. Pulling it out, Qrow answered and held it up to his ear "Hello?"

" _Ahh! Mr Qrow!"_ The voice exclaimed from the other end of the line. " _It's me Shio! Ms Glynda bought me a… scroll... and gave me your number! Is this how people talk now?"_

"Hello Shio… and yes. This is how people talk when they're not in the same room." Qrow answered before leaning against the side of a nearby building "So what's up? Why did you call me?"

" _Oh! Yeah that's right… well, this girl named Raven showed up. She was all grumpy when she found out you weren't here."_

"Raven?! Shio, did she say anything to you?" Qrow lowered his voice, but his tone was harsh. "Anything at all?"

" _Uhmm… she said something about a traitor, and then called you some really mean things."_ Shio replied, her voice slightly upset " _She wasn't very friendly, but she did say she would be back tomorrow."_

"Tomorrow? Great. I'll be home soon!"

" _Okay! See you soon then!"_ Shio exclaimed before Qrow hung up the scroll.

"Damn you Raven." Qrow spat as he broke into a run "Why now of all times? Why did you have to see Shio alone?" Kicking off the ground, Qrow launched himself into the air again. His body became that of a black crow before he began flying towards his flat in Vale.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed! Please Follow/Fav and leave a review!**


	5. The Calm Before The Storm Pt3

**Hey! I'm alive, sorry for the delay. Kinda lost my urge to write for a while so this chapter took longer. Got it back though! Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and as always if anyone has questions or concerns feel free to PM me.**

* * *

"Oi! We're here."

The gruff voice of the driver reverberated around the small carriage getting Ozpin's attention. The headmaster nodded and dug into his pocket grabbing ahold of some lien. "Thank you, here's the fare." Dropping the shimmering coins in the leathery hands of the driver, Ozpin opened up his door and stepped out into the open.

A strong gust of wind blew his hair out of his face putting his pale features on full display. The sound of gravel being crushed filled the air as the taxi behind him drove away, disappearing into the fog. Now alone, a heavy silence fell onto Ozpin's shoulders the only thing breaking the silence was the howling wind as it rushed through the trees.

This was the edge of Vale. Very few citizens ever visited the border, and with good reason. It was an ugly scar on the face of Vale, serving as a constant reminder of the war and how little the people in the crossfire were helped. As a result, many of the citizens resorted to crime which led to a cloud of despair and anger falling upon the once beautiful forests. Overrun with Grimm and rife with anarchy it was the perfect place for a deal like the one Ozpin had with Lionheart.

To any passerby it would look like a simple slave trade. "Oh, I almost forgot…" Pulling his scarf off from around his neck, Ozpin wrapped it over the upper and lower halves of his face leaving only his eyes exposed.' _It would cause trouble if I was seen here. Thankfully the cab driver agreed to keep quiet for some extra lien._ ' Bringing his hand up to his face, the bespectacled man took his glasses off and tucked them into his breast pocket.

Looking around, Ozpin felt people watching him. He could make out several groups through the fog, none of them posed much of a threat. Not for someone like him at least. ' _I wonder what kind of men could take out a group of soldiers from Mistral. They may not be the strongest, but their techniques are extremely effective._ '

Losing himself in his thoughts, Ozpin wandered further into the forest. The hard ground crunching beneath his feet. After a few steps, the gravel gave way to grass and dirt, the wind that had been rushing against his body lessened being stopped by the surrounding trees. As he walked, he came upon a small derelict home. There were two shattered windows that offered a view into the buildings interior, Ozpin could see torn, blue curtains hanging from the ceiling on the inside of the house.

The three wooden steps that led up to the front porch were rotted through, resembling the porch itself. The door was barely hanging onto the hinges, beating against the wooden frame whenever a gust of wind blew. The steps creaked under his weight as he made his way up to the front door and carefully pushed it open. Stepping inside, Ozpin walked over to a large green corduroy sofa and sat down. Leaning into the back, he let his eyes wander over the run down furniture around him. There was an old fireplace with a chimney directly in front of him, broken picture frames were scattered across the floor and some were hanging on one edge along the walls.

Smiling to himself, Ozpin felt a surge of nostalgia wash over him. Despite how it looked, this is where he lived as a child before moving closer to Beacon. ' _I can still remember training in the woods just south of here with my father. I would come home beaten and bloody only to be greeted by Mother's freshly baked pie. Now this place looks like it's been through hell.'_ Chuckling to himself, Ozpin laid his cane against the arm of the sofa beside him. "I've got a few hours, may as well relax." Closing his eyes, Ozpin let his mind wander back to his youth.

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

 _Fenrir Far East Branch, Earth._

"-ous. Withdraw immediately!" A reddish brown haired woman shouted into the nearby mic, her dark brown eyes quivering as she watched two signals vanish from sight. "Extraction is on its way now. Get out of there!"

" _Hibari… it's fine. The Aragami is gone…"_ The voice of Sakuya crackled out through the radios.

"O-Oh. Well, what happened then? Corporal Soma and Corporal Mithgail's signals went dark. What happened out there?" Her voice was quivering as she waited for Sakuya's response. She feared the worst, and unfortunately, that's exactly what she was got.

" _The Aragami… it…"_ Sakuya's voice fell silent in the middle of her sentence, the sound of her voice hitching filled Hibari's ears. " _They were devoured by the Aragami, there isn't anything left."_

"Wha-?" Hibari fell silent, ' _I was prepared for this, but… it still hurts…'_ Gritting her teeth, she raised her hand and keyed something into the monitor in front of her. "Understood, then proceed as usual. The Extraction zone is the same place where you were dropped off."

The line went dead after Sakuya cut the transmission. Now standing in silence, Hibari balled her hands up into fists and leaned against her desk the all too familiar stinging of tears in her eyes. "Damn it… if only I had seen it, if I had picked up the reading earlier…" Clenching her teeth, Hibari left her post and slowly walked towards a large metal door a few feet in front of her.

Lifting her hand, she pressed it flat against a scanner, stepping back as the locks released and pulled the door open for her. On the other side was a control room, filled with monitors and screens, in the centre of the room stood Tsubaki Amamiya. She wore a white long-sleeved vest with bronze trimmings, it was held together by five bronze strings crisscrossing over her abdomen. The vest left her upper hips and lower back and abdomen exposed as well as a fair amount of her cleavage. She also wore a pair of white pants with six bronze bands connecting to the back half of the pant leg on each side, forming the same crisscross pattern as her vest. Her long black hair fell across her back into a slight curl and her bangs covered her right eye. A bronze necklace with a wide ring hung of her neck and rested in between her cleavage. Like many other God Eaters she had a large bracelet on her right wrist, but hers had yellow caution tape covering it as a symbol of her retirement.

" ." Tsubaki's voice was quiet as she stared at the two blinking dots on the large monitor. "We lost two today… didn't we?"

"I'm- Im afraid so. Corporal Mithgail's and Corporal Soma's signals have gone dark. We have confirmation from the remainder of the first unit as well." Gripping her skirt, Hibari waited for Tsubaki's orders.

"I see. Once they return inform them of their suspension."

"Suspension? Why?" Hibari's eyes widened as she felt her stomach drop.

"They both need to undergo proper psychological analysis and physical examinations for one. Secondly, the first unit has already lost three God Eaters, strong ones at that. I have a feeling that there is something about them… something that continuously attracts stronger and rarer Aragami." Turning around, Tsubaki crossed her arms over her chest "I want the remaining members to be placed under house arrest to confirm whether or not what I believe is true."

"I understand. Would you like me to prepare a mission for one of the other units? I believe that we should at least search for their bracelets…" Hibari muttered as Tsubaki approached her, shaking her head.

"No. Just have Sakaki and Licca examine the Oracle readings, I want to know how to counter this new Aragami. Don't stretch out our forces too thin again, there are too many people still searching for Lindow." The door opened in front of her as she walked past Hibari, the sound of her heels clicking against the metal floor echoing throughout the control room.

"Understood…" Closing her eyes, Hibari blinked away her tears. Leaving the control room, she returned to her desk and activated the console. Keying in her latest orders, Hibari contemplated throwing a ceremony together. ' _No… if we did it for them we'd have to do it for everyone. That's what Tsubaki would say at least…'_ Shaking her head, she hit the enter key and sat down on the stool behind her watching the computer process the command.

 _Fenrir Helicopter, Earth_

"Why? First Lindow, now Soma and the Captain… did we do something? No. Did _they_ do something to deserve this kind of an end?" Alisa muttered to herself as she lazily watched the landscape pass her on the other side of the helicopter door.

"They didn't do anything, you and I both know that the Aragami don't care _who_ or _what_ they eat. They only want to destroy."

"I get that Sakuya, you don't need to remind me what an Aragami does. I've killed enough of them…"

Turning her attention to the younger girl, Sakuya frowned. "Listen. We can't let this beat us down, they're gone and they're not coming back." Standing up, Sakuya gripped the rack over her head and moved to sit beside Alisa "Once we accept that fact, we can track the Aragami down and kill it. Just like we always have."

"How are we going to do that? How do you expect me to move on?" Her head whipped around, her eyes locking with Sakuya's "You guys all saved me, I was going down a really dark path yet you all pulled me back." Gripping her knees, Alisa tore her eyes away from Sakuya and glared down at her knees "Am I supposed to just forget about thanking them? Forget about how much you all helped me?"

"No, I'm not saying that Alisa."

"Then what are you saying? In order to move on I need to thank them." Alisa mumbled, her voice losing its usual weight.

"I'm saying that you need to accept the fact that they're gone. You can repay them by avenging them, don't you think?" Sakuya whispered as she wrapped her arm around Alisa, pulling the younger teen into her side. "Until that time you can rest, I'm certain that we will be placed under house arrest due to our mental state, that's what they'll say at least."

"I can still fight…"

"So can I," Sakuya began, before leaning her head back into her small seat. "But we can't fight smart. Everything we do will be driven by rage, and that will put us in a dangerous situation."

"If you say so…"

The two girls let a comfortable silence settle between them. They both listened to the chopper blades tearing through the air as they were carried back to the den. Not a single Aragami was heard in the distance, having been driven away by the appearance of the new species.

"I-I think that was a deusphage." A new voice broke the silence, making both girls look towards the cockpit of the helicopter.

"Deus-phage…?"

"Yeah, it's an Aragami that's evolved to the point where it begins to actively hunt God Eaters in place of average humans." Sakuya explained, noticing Alisa's puzzled expression. Turning to look at the pilot, Sakuya motioned for him to continue.

"U-Um, well is was abnormally large, and even the 1st unit couldn't beat it. So, you know… it's just a thought."

"Beat it? We didn't even fight it…" Sakuya whispered before nodding. "You're right though, normally I would argue but… I'm not in a position to be stubborn right now."

"I see… well then I'm…"

"You're…?"

"No. I'll just shut up." The pilot shook his head and focused wholly on the flight. ' _I shouldn't say anything like that… not when I didn't even try to save them.'_

Sakuya wanted to press for more but decided against it, she had a good idea of what he was going to say and she was thankful that he kept it to himself. It just wasn't the time for apologies yet. Not when the wounds were still so fresh. ' _It's okay, we're almost home anyways. Tsubaki knows so all that's left is to inform Sakaki. Once we do that, we can relax._ ' Staring out the door of the helicopter, Sakuya watched their home draw closer and closer.

 _Sasaki's Lab, The Den._

"I see."

"…"

"Yes, of course! It makes so much more sense now. To think I've been slaving away at this for hours and the solution was this simple!" A head of short, dark gray hair tilted back, a set of almond eyes peeking out through half open eyelids locked on the ceiling of the room.

Looking down once more, the head shook before turning around to look at one of the many computer monitors that were set up across a desk. The reflection in the monitor gave away the rest of the body, it was a youthful looking man that wore a colorful yukata with a black waist coat and white gloves. The chain from a pocket watch peeked out from under the coat and two glasses hung off of his neck, the man also wore a pair of chained glasses. This man was Dr. Paylor Sakaki, the lead researcher for the Fenrir Far East Branch.

"Haa, finally."

"Hm?" Tearing his eyes off of his monitor, Sakaki looked in the direction of the voice. As the door closed behind them, Alisa and Sakuya slowly wandered up to his desk. "Can I help you two? If I'm not mistaken, you're meant to be on a mission at Aegis."

"About that…" Sakuya began as Alisa leaned against the desk, looking more worn out than he had ever seen her. "We lost Mithgail and Soma."

The doctor's mind went into overdrive in reaction to the news. ' _Mithgail and Soma? The two scrappiest God Eaters in the Den lost?'_ Standing up, Sakaki walked around his desk and stood across from Sakuya and Alisa his eyes wide open for once. "Tell me everything. Don't leave out a single detail."

* * *

"Are you sure that the Aragami retreated into the blade?"

"Yes. I'm certain."

Sakaki scowled as he listened to the end of Sakuya and Alisa's report. He found it disturbing, to say the least. "In that case I think we should qu-"

" _Would Sakuya Tachibana and Alisa Amiella of the first unit please report to the director's office."_ Hibari's voice cut Sakaki off as she relayed Tsubaki's orders. " _A.S.A.P."_

The two girls in question dropped their heads before nodding to Sakaki. "I apologize Dr. We kinda have to go…"

"It's quite alright! I'll do a bit of research on this myself." Waving the two girls off, Sakaki let his smile fade away as the metal doors closed behind them. ' _Tsubaki is more than likely going to place them under house arrest, yet they're the only two God Eaters that even know what this beast looks like. Looks like I'm going to have to undermine the Director once again…'_

 _Director's office, The Den._

"Director…?" Alisa called out as she cautiously wandered into Tsubaki's office. She knew that she was on thin ice with the acting director ever since the incident with Lindow.

"Ah, Ms. Amelia. I assume you know why you're here? Considering how close you and Ms. Tachibana are, she must have told you." Tsubaki spoke up from behind her desk, eyeing Alisa through her bangs.

"Yes. I'm to be placed under house arrest, right?"

"That's right. Due to the simultaneous loss of both your Captains, both you and Sakuya are to be confined to the den while undergoing numerous psychological tests in order to determine whether or not you are battle-ready."

"Director, I-"

"Let me stop you there Alisa." Standing up, Tsubaki walked around to the front of her desk and crossed her arms over her chest, levelling her eyes with Alisa. "I'm not giving you a choice in this matter, it's obligatory. Am I understood?" Watching Alisa nod solemnly, Tsubaki felt a frown forming on her face "Look, it's not like it's a new experience for you. The only difference this time is that you won't be in a hospital bed."

"About that… I really am sorry." Alisa muttered as she averted her eyes. Guilt washing over her, a sensation that she had grown accustomed to living with.

"Being sorry won't change what happened, so don't apologize. I will admit to feeling no small amount of hostility towards you when I heard about what happened, but recent events have forced me to re-evaluate my opinion of you. So, I've decided to turn my hostility towards that cowardly doctor that manipulated you." Offering the young girl a smile, Tsubaki motioned for her to leave. "Now, get out of here. I've got work to do."

"Okay… then I'll see you around Director." Alisa smiled shyly before she turned and quietly left Tsubaki's office.

As the door shut, Tsubaki let out a heavy sigh and slowly returned to her seat. Turning her attention to a black folder on the desk, she reached for it and flipped it open looking over the contents. "This is the first time that the first unit has ever been so weak… are the Aragami truly getting that strong?"

Shaking her head, she took a page from the folder and laid it down on the desk. "If so, then we need to start gathering stronger cores again. I know the God Eaters hate it, but what choice is there? The only way to beat an ever-evolving species is to evolve ourselves." Grabbing a pen, she began to write the details of the mission in mind on the sheet before she stuffed the page back into the folder. "I'll have Hibari update the systems soon, but for now I should let the people cope." Closing her eyes, Tsubaki rubbed her temples "I can see why the previous director went mad… there's so much work to be done with such little time."

 **A Resonance Between Worlds.**

"Talk."

"No."

"Don't make this ha- wait." Lionheart stopped himself mid sentence and glanced over at the gray haired prisoner. "You spoke? So you aren't a mute. What's your name?"

"..."

Soma watched quietly as his friend and leader did everything in his power to infuriate the man before them. It didn't take too long for him to accomplish his goal either, the blonde man's face was growing steadily redder in the face of his partners stubbornness.

"You're giving me the cold shoulder again? Fine. Once we get to Ozpin, I'll make sure that he sets you straight. By the time he's done with you, I'm sure that you'll be begging for mercy." Lionheart grumbled as he crossed his arms and tore his eyes off the teen, looking out the window of the airship. ' _In all honesty, I'm not even sure that Ozpin will put them in a cell. But they don't know that so I'll lay it on thick.'_ Smirking to himself, Lionheart opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Soma.

"You're a horrible liar."

"Eh?"

"I said that you're a horrible liar." Soma narrowed his eyes at the man, adopting a knowing smile. "You just gave us the most cliche torture scenario there is. An unknown ally? Supposedly cruel and twisted? Forcing us to beg? Try getting a bit more creative when bluffing, it'll make your life a bit easier. But then again I'm sure you'll be fine either way, cowards always find a way to slither out of harms way."

"Why you little punk! How dare you call me a coward!"

"Give me a reason not to. I mean, you're shrugging your problems off to another kingdom because you can't handle it. That alone is a massive act of cowardice." Soma closed his eyes as he leaned back in his seat, staring at the metal ceiling of the airship. ' _This guy isn't much of a fighter, he let's his emotions control him far too much.'_

"I- Just shut up before I make you!" Lionheart snapped before turning on his heel and storming away from the two teens, disappearing into the cockpit.

"Thanks for ruining it Soma, now how am I supposed to keep myself entertained for the rest of the flight?"

"Sleep." Soma all but demanded as he watched the door shut at the end of the airship's cabin. "Your bickering was giving me a headache anyways…"

"I only said one word though…"

Both teens were alerted by the sound of the door creaking open ever so slightly.

"He's so obvious…"

"…"

The door quickly slammed shut followed by the muffled shout of " _Damn it!"_. Both God Eaters shook their heads before they felt the airship begin to decline.

"Guess we're here hey Soma?" Mithgail spoke again, staring at the foggy land below them. "What kind of man do you think Ozpin is?"

"Hopefully a better man that Lionheart. But with how my day's been going, I wouldn't count on it…" Standing up, Soma began to walk towards the nearest exit followed by Mithgail.

"Hey, we both got swallowed by a super blob, so your days not the only one that's been shitty." Mithgail grumbled as he came to a stop beside Soma. Both teens looked at the ground below and watched Lionheart jump down from what they assumed to be the cockpit's exit. The blonde man walked to the nearby house before he disappeared through the open doorway.

"So… they actually landed this thing in a forest?" Soma questioned as he saw the ships wings touching the grassy terrain.

"Must be a big forest…"

"Do you even… whatever. I won't try to argue with you, but for the record all forests are big. The clearing must be big." Soma shook his head as he tried to wrap his head around how the man beside him managed to save his life countless times. Usually unscathed.

 _Derelict House, Vale._

"Ozpin."

"Lionheart. It's a pleasure to see you again, how have you been?" Ozpin smiled as he rose to his feet, turning to face his fellow headmaster. "Not well from the looks of it…"

"Bingo Ozpin, one of them refuses to speak and the other is a delinquent. Never in my life have I seen two teenagers act that way in front of a headmaster." Lionheart grumped as he recalled Soma and Mithgail's actions on their way to Vale.

"Qrow?"

"He's an exception. He had the skill to back up his cockyness." Lionheart heard the cabin doors opening behind him and let out a heavy sigh "Well, they found a way out. Guess it's time for the hand off hey?" Turning on his heel, Lionheart made his way out of the house with Ozpin slowly following behind him. "They're already causing trouble and they haven't even met you yet…" Frowning, Lionheart pointed to the two teens that had managed to get out of the airship without lowering the door.

' _Apparently these two have that same skill Lionheart, don't underestimate them.'_ Ozpin stepped into the light and eyes the two teens setting foot on the grass. Before he knew it, Lionheart was already back on the airship and closing its doors like his life depended on it.

"Good luck Oz! I won't blame you if ya kill em!" Turning his head, Lionheart ordered the pilot to take off leaving Mithgail and Soma stranded with Ozpin.

"Thanks I guess…" Watching the steadily shrinking form of the airship. ' _He always leaves on a fast note… it makes it so hard to talk to him.'_ Looking down at the two teens, Ozpin scowled. ' _They carry themselves with an air of caution, yet they look so young. This is the outcome that I strive to prevent, children should be children not warriors.'_

"So, you just gonna stand there and ogle us or are you going to torture us like blondie said you would?"

"Torture? Why would I torture you?" Ozpin motioned for the two to step forward, which they did.

"I knew he was bluffing." Soma muttered, before glancing at his partner. "You good?"

"..." Silently, Mithgail nodded his head earning a look of suspicion from Ozpin.

' _He either remains silent due to his allegiance or the fact that he carries some kind of burden. I'll try and figure that out from his friend, but for now, we should get back to the School.'_ Pulling out his scroll, Ozpin dialed the number of the taxi that had dropped him off. Securing a ride, Ozpin moved to stand beside the two teens who made a point of staying quiet.

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

 _Qrow's Flat, Vale._

"Hmm? Who are you again…?" Shio's head tilted to the side slightly as she stared at the woman in front of her, her eyes full of wonder. "You said you're close to Mr. Qrow buuut…. that doesn't really tell me anything…"

The woman in question sighed, irritated that her way was blocked by a small child. Frowning, the woman revealed her name. "My name is Raven, I'm Qrow's sister."

Raven Branwen, as she claimed, was the sister of Qrow. She had blood red eyes and waist length black hair featuring a few scattered red highlights throughout. She has a youthful appearance, but still exuded a serious and fairly dangerous aura. Standing outside of Qrow's flat, her black cloak fluttered in the wind only held together by three sets of black string tied together down the front. The toes of black, leather boots were peeking out from under the cloak.

"His sister? Ohhh." Shio nodded, offering up a warm smile "Now come on in, it's not nice to just stand there."

"Excuse m-Hey!" Raven snapped as Shio grabbed her hand and dragged her into the flat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Uhm… bringing you inside? I read somewhere that it's polite to invite people inside."

As Shio released Raven's hand, she walked past her and gently closed the door. Going through the motions that Glynda had drilled into her head, ever since she found the door unlocked she made sure that Shio would keep the door closed and locked at all times.

"You read it… somewhere? I thought kids your age had manners drilled into you left, right and centre." Raven turned around to see Shio standing on her toes while trying to lock the door. She was about to do it for her, only to hear the click of the lock setting.

"Well, I haven't had very many chances to learn about that. I was taught the simple _please_ and _thank you's_ , but where I'm from nothing else was really important." Shio shrugged as she looked over her shoulders at the black haired woman behind her.

"You know kid, for your age you're actually pretty mature."

"Isn't that what you prefer? The minute I opened the door I could tell that you had really bad patience so, yeah."

"I don't have short patience, I just refuse to deal with children." Raven shot back, her ruby eyes narrowing at the slander.

"Well, you seem to be dealing with me so there. No-" Raven cut Shio off by reaching out and grabbing a hold of the girls collar, making her eyes widen.

"Listen brat, I don't care how important you are to Ozpin or Qrow, but if you irritate me further I'll kill you. You need to learn to respect your elders." Raven warned, pulling the white haired girl in closer to her. "Understand?"

"I'm sorry…"

"I don't want an apology, just tell me you understand." Raven groaned, earning a simple nod from Shio. Sighing, she dropped the girl and walked further into the flat. Noticing an open book on the floor, she walked over and knelt down to pick it up. "Hmm… wait, what?" Letting her eyes roam over the page, she felt another surge of irritation well up in her stomach. Slamming the book shut, she stood up and glared over at Shio. "You seriously quoted a book when ' _inviting'_ me in?"

"Maybe…?" Shio smiled sheepishly, carefully meeting the older woman's gaze. "The words seemed adult so I wanted to try them… they actually worked, so I decided to keep it going."

"Do that again and I'll end you." Tossing the book over to Shio, Raven began to untie her cloak. She revealed a shallow cut, black dress with a red girdle belt and black gloves with red gauntlets. She wore black detached leggings with a splatter pattern and black leather boots. Raven had five necklaces hung around her neck with an assortment of beads on each and something feather-like hung off her hip. An ōdachi was sheathed by her waist, the sheath itself had a gold design carved into it.

"I said I'm sorry miss…" Shio pouted as she watched Raven drape her cloak over the back of a chair. "So, my name is Shio B- just Shio."

If Raven noticed Shio's slip up she didn't pursue it "Well then, nice to meet you kid."

"You're not going to say my name?"

"I don't have a reason to, you're both younger and weaker than I am. I only call those that I see as an equal. You are nowhere near my equal." Raven shrugged as she stared down at the girl by the door. "Now go sit down, I'll make you something to eat."

"Huh? But… why?" Shio inquired, watching curiously as Raven made her way into the kitchen.

"Just shut up and do what I say." Raven snapped while looking through her brothers fridge. ' _I was going to leave, I guess this is what they call motherly instincts hey?'_ Raven thought to herself as she pulled out some vegetables. "She's too young, and it's too early for a heavy meal. I'll make something light." Setting up a small section for her to cook, Raven began.

 _ **Ten minutes later.**_

"Entrainced was I…"

"Tranced. En _tranced_." Raven corrected as she sat on the couch beside Shio. While she was preparing Shio's lunch, Raven had overheard her reading, or at least attempting to. It was clear that while she had difficulty, the young girl managed to trudge through her brothers books. ' _Whether she could get it eventually or not doesn't matter… the constant mispronunciation was giving me a headache.'_ Raven thought while she watched Shio reach over and grab the sandwich off the table.

It was a simple sandwich, just two pieces of bread with some lettuce, tomato and a little bit of cucumber. At first, Shio was more than reluctant about eating such a green meal but after some _convincing_ Raven had managed to make the girl eat it.

"Miss Raven, why are you helping me?" Shio asked as she bit off a mouthful of the sandwich. "I mwean, yuu dond sem lick tha tipe…"

"..." Staring down at the white hair girl, Raven moved her hand over her mouth as she tried to speak again. "Chew. Swallow. Then talk. You're not a wild animal, don't behave like you're some beast out in the woods."

Under pressure from both Ravens glare and her scolding, Shio slowly chewed the food in her mouth before swallowing.

"I said that you don't seem like the type." Shio repeated herself, slowly wiping the sides of her lips with a nearby napkin.

"Oh? And what type do you think I am?"

"Uhm… want me to answer honestly?"

"Obviously." Raven snapped

Putting her sandwich back down on it's plate "Well, you come off as harsh, kind of stoic and a little dangerous." Shio listed off her first impressions of the older woman in front of her, all with a smile.

"Lis-"

"You can also be kind of motherly. So, it balances out." Shrugging, Shio turned her attention back to her meal. She'd learned to comfortably eat human food a while ago, since Grimm weren't nearly as appetizing as the Aragami, and unfortunately there were no Aragami in sight.

' _She calls me harsh? That kind of stings coming from a child.'_ Narrowing her eyes, Raven crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the couch. "Well~ It's not like I need to take the words of a grade schooler to heart."

"Grade schooler?" Shio questioned, turning around stare at Raven.

"Yeah, you know. Somebody that's basically just starting school?" Taking the blank stare as a silent urge to continue, she sighed. "For example, somebody in school that's preparing to move to middle school where they'll train to learn the basics of weapon design, Grimm theory and mandatories like math and science."

"Middle school… like Beacon?"

"No. Beacon is a College, it's where I went actually." Raven corrected, suppressing the urge to smile. ' _She seems so… blank. Like a snowflake just melding to fit the surroundings. It's not half bad seeing somebody that has no ulterior motive for once.'_

"Really?!" Shio exclaimed, her eyes coming alive as she spun on the couch so she was completely facing Raven. "You went to Beacon?"

Letting loose a quiet, but light chuckle Raven nodded "Yeah, did you want to attend one day? It's a hard school to get into so you should work hard."

"I'm a student there right now!" Shio cheered, completely ignoring Raven's advice. "I get a lot of weird looks whenever I go to class so I usually skip… but I go sometimes. Usually the days when Ms Glynda comes and gets me."

"You? Now? Bullshit." Raven denied, shaking her head in blatant disbelief. "I know that Ozpin occasionally let's kids skip a year or two but you're barely into double digits. What reason would he have for letting you enroll?"

"Because I'm not-" Catching herself mid-sentence, Shio frowned. ' _Human. Should I say it…?'_ Debating her options in her mind, Shio settle on her reason and finished her sentence. "a normal girl. My… aura, is exceptional for someone of my age."

"..." Silently, Raven analyzed Shio. ' _She's lying through her teeth. I guess I can just squeeze the truth out of my brother. They clearly know each other'_

"Ms Raven…?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Cool kiddo, now come on and finish up. Don't waste the food."

"But what about our ta-"

"Eat." Silencing Shio with a stare, Raven stood up and made for the door. "I'll be just outside if you really need anything, and I mean _desperately_." With that, Raven was outside. Deciding to forgo the cloak, she left Shio alone in silence.

"Boo. I was enjoying that… She reminds me of Yang. Just a bit less friendly…"

* * *

"I came here to talk to Qrow but I find myself stuck with her? Why would Qrow be around someone like her? I mean she's just so innocent. I understand Summer's daughter, she's family, but Shio? What reason would he have…" Raven groaned as she ran her fingers through her hair "Or is it that she chose to live here? She is certainly too young to be living on her own, so I guess Ozpin is forcing her to stay with an adult to supervise her."

Turning to look at the closed door behind her, Raven scowled "That must mean that she doesn't know what he's done. Not if she trusts him enough to live with him, I mean who would? He abandoned his family and friends, all because our values differed. That's something that I could have easily changed in him." Gritting her teeth, she shook her head "It's settled, I'll walk back in and just drop the bomb on her. If it's sudden then she won't be able to look for a reason to argue. Phew, I hope she takes it alright. The truth hurts, but I want her to at least know who's she's living with."

Grabbing the handle of the door, Raven gave herself one last chance to change her mind before turning the handle and put on a serious expression. ' _If she chooses to live her after learning the truth then so be it but her ignorance is her weakness. I must change that._ _I refuse to let a child grow up to be a coward or a weakling'_

* * *

Not too long after Shio finished her sandwich, she heard the click of the door opening and looked up to see Raven walking back inside. The older woman had adopted a rather serious expression, had something happened while she was outside?

"Listen, Shio. You are staying here with my brother that much is obvious, but I think you should know a few things." Walking back to the couch that she had shared with Shio earlier, Raven sat down. "I spent the time outside contemplating whether or not I should tell you, and in the end I decided that it would be best to fill you in."

"Uhm… okay?"

"Qrow is not a loyal man. Sure, he'll defend those around him but not out of loyalty. He'll defend them out of obligation, like it's his duty." Looking down at the wide-eyed girl, Raven continued "There are very few people that he will stand beside, and believe it or not, his own sister is counted amongst them. In fact no one in his main family is. He ran from us like a coward and cut off all contact with us like we were diseased."

' _Loyalty…? Obligation…?'_ Shio stayed quiet despite her confusion, she was far more interested in learning about her soon to be roommate to ask any questions.

"He betrayed those closest to him, he's a traitor. Do you understand? He let those close to him down, he turned his back to them." Gritting her teeth, Raven continuously ragged on her brother in his absence.

"You know Ms Raven… this all seems kind of unfair to him." Adjusting herself in her seat, Shio glanced up at Raven. "He isn't here to defend himself but you keep accusing him of doing all these bad things. Did you ever stop to think maybe he had a reason to leave you behind?"

"This has nothing to do with me, it has to do with my family and Qrow." Raven snapped, her fist crashing down on the arm of the couch.

' _I guess I was right about the dangerous part…'_ Frowning, Shio continued "I think that's what you're telling yourself. Am I wrong in saying that you miss him being there for you? That you miss having your brother to rely on?" Ignoring Raven's rapidly rising anger, Shio pressed on. She knew that on some level, maybe one even lost to Raven herself, she wasn't wrong. "Stop using your family as a reason to cry out for help. If you miss him, tell him instead of being so mean."

"How dare you. How dare you assume something like that! You barely know him, probably even less than me, yet you defend him like this? I bet you don't even know what half of what your saying implies!" Raven roared, losing control of herself because of the accusations of a child. How far had she fallen?

"I know enough to say that I trust Mr Qrow far more than you. He carried me to Beacon on his back, he let me stay here despite his disapproval, and most of all, he sees me as a normal girl even though he knows what I truly am. You? All I did was give you my opinion and you got angry."

"Shut up."

"Stop running from the truth Ms Raven, it's only hurting you…"

"Shio, I swear to god if you don't shut up…"

Ignoring Raven's warning, Shio pushed further. Why? She didn't know, all she knew for sure was that hearing Raven put Qrow down the way she did upset her. "You call him a coward for running, while you yourself hide behind lies to prove a point… I think we both know that he isn't the coward."

"Shio…"

"You are."

Those two words sent Raven over the edge, her hand was in flight before she realized it and soon enough a resounding smack echoed throughout the flat. A sharp stinging sensation immediately made itself known in Raven's hand and Shio's cheek. Both girls were wide-eyed, one from shock and the other confusion.

"Tell my brother that I'll be back tomorrow…" Dropping her hand, Raven rubbed it off on her thigh before standing up. "Listen I'm…" Staring down at the stunned girl, Raven shook her head and grabbed her stuff "Nevermind."

Shio absently watched Raven leave the flat, her cheek still throbbing ' _W-What did I do…?'_

 _Backstreets of Vale._

"Damn it!" Raven cursed as she stormed down the dark alley, her footsteps echoing off the cobblestone and her cloak fluttering behind her. "I completely overreacted in there. She didn't deserve that, she's a kid after all…"

Coming to a stop, Raven slumped against a nearby wall and slid down to the ground. "I slapped her just because I lost control of my anger… hell I shouldn't have even lost control! I mean, people have said things that were far more hurtful than that to me before and I barely reacted. So why did this get me?"

Staring at the ground under her, Raven pulled her knees into herself. "Is it because I agree with her? Do I think she's right…?" Muttering to herself, she tried to push Shio to the back of her mind.

Shio's flat, Vale.

The ringing of the scroll repeated as Shio tried to connect with Qrow. On the fifth ring, Shio heard the line pick up. " _Shio? What is it?"_

"Ah! Mr Qrow, Ms Glynda got me a scroll so I can talk to you. Cool huh?" Shio exclaimed, overly excited. "Anyways, I have something to tell you…"

" _Very cool, now what's up?_ " Qrow asked from the other end of the line, his voice calm and collected in contrast to the young girl.

"Well, your sister dropped by and said some mean things about you. I don't know why but when she first came she was super nice but all of a sudden she got really angry…"

" _Raven dropped by…? What did she say?"_ Qrow asked, his voice calmer than he himself was.

"Well, she said that she'd be back tomorrow. I think she wants to talk to you."

" _...Tomorrow? Great, I'll see you soon then!"_

"Okay! See you soon then!" Saying her goodbyes, Shio heard the line go dead before she lowered the scroll and rested it on the couch. "I hope I didn't upset her too much… I only said what I thought was right."

Flopping to the side, Shio felt her body tilt down and hit the couch "Uwaa… I think I really messed up!" Burying her face in the couch, Shio felt the beginnings of tears stinging her eyes. ' _H-Hmm…? There it is again, this weird feeling. I only ever feel this way when I feel like I did something wrong… or when I think about home…'_

Laying on the couch, Shio let herself get enveloped by the silence. Suddenly, her body sprung back up into a sitting position while her eyes lit up "I know! I'll go ask Ruby and her friends about this, they'll know for sure!" Grinning, Shio ran for the door.

Nimbly evading the coffee table and bookshelves, she carelessly slipped her shoes on and bolted out the door only stopping to lock it behind her.

' _I've been feeling this way a lot, even back home. I hate it! My stomach gets all weird and my heart throbs, and it always feels like there's something in my eye. If I know what it is, I can stop feeling that way!'_ Hopping over the front staircases railing, she fell to the sidewalk below landing in front of an old Faunus couple.

The two seniors let out a surprised yelp before watch the young girl run off in the direction of Beacon. As Shio passed by the pedestrians, she picked up a bit of gossip about her. ' _Tardy', 'Delinquent', 'Disrespectful'_ , every word meant next to nothing for her as she pushed passed all the people. All she knew was that the last time she'd heard those words directed at somebody was when she was with Soma.

It made her chuckle knowing that she was being compared to her idol. ' _It_ _feels kind of nice_ …' Shio thought to herself as she drew closer to Beacon ' _For once everybody sees me as something other than an object to be protected. I didn't really understand it when I was back home, but Soma and them were putting their lives on the line to keep me from others. I know why they tried and I'm happy they did, but it feels amazing to be seen!'_

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

"So, where are we going?"

"Beacon Academy."

"Is that in Mistral?" Soma questioned, his eyes watching as the older man adjusted the seatbelt.

"Vale… you don't know about the schools do you?" Ozpin glanced over his shoulder at Soma, raising his eyebrow slightly. "I thought that you two looked a bit out of place here. Not a single kingdom wears the same kind of clothes you do. Some is similar, but not the same."

' _Vale huh? I guess that means we got into another kingdom. I hate to say it… but the captain's plan worked.'_ Turning to look at said captain, Soma caught a glimpse of a smile on Mithgail's face. "Hey, haven't seen that in a while. What brought it on?"

"..." Turning his head, Mithgail looked both Soma and Ozpin in the eye before letting out a sigh. "All the life. It's a nice sight."

"Hmph. I can agree with you there, this must be what our home used to look like." Watching the trees and bushes fly by, Soma felt the urge to smile himself but suppressed it. "Anyways, the old man says that we're in another kingdom, so your plan worked."

""What plan?""

Soma felt a surge of irritation wash over him as he stared deadpan at Mithgail. "What do you mean, _what plan_?! I thought you coming here was part of some plan to get us into one of the kingdoms?"

"My plan was to get us into Mistral. Meeting Ozpin was a happy accident that's all." Mithgail shrugged before turning to look at said man. His eyes searching for something, maybe a flaw? He didn't even know himself.

"Hmm. Well, at least I know you two aren't criminals. If you were, you wouldn't talk about your motives so openly in front of me." Turning back to the front of the car, Ozpin watched as they started to pass by familiar territory.

"Maybe we're just stupid."

"Maybe. But, could that be true? It's hard enough to enroll on one of the four schools, but you two managed to more or less break in. That isn't something a fool could accomplish."

"We didn't break in, we got arrested."

"According to your friends plan, in my eyes, you broke in." Feeling the car slow down, Ozpin glanced up and nodded "Alright, we're almost there." Waving for the driver to stop, the headmaster unbuckled himself and motioned for the two God Eaters to do the same. "We're going to walk from here, I don't really want to be seen with two strange men arriving in a taxi."

"Why…?"

"Because kids these days can gossip about anything. Now, follow me." Getting out, Ozpin stood up straight and waited for the two others to do the same before leading them further down the road. "Thanks again, you can go back now!" Ozpin called out over his shoulder, briefly looking back at the driver.

With a honk, the taxi drove passed the three men as it continued on into Vale.

"So, what's going to happen to us when we get to this academy?" Soma questioned as he and Mithgail watched Ozpin pull his scarf down around his neck.

"Well, that depends on why you're going to the kingdoms. I may have told Lionheart that I would handle you, however if I deem you to be too dangerous than I will stop you here. I refuse to put my students at risk."

"So you want to hear our story?"

"That's right. Names, if you're in some organization. Everything." Ozpin nodded, locking eyes with both Mithgail and Soma. "These are hateful times, people will take any opportunity to bring someone down."

The two God Eaters shared a look before Mithgail shrugged, motioning for Soma to explain. "Such a pain…" Soma muttered to himself as he stepped forward and introduced himself. "Soma Shicksal, currently the Assault Corpral of Fenrir's 1st unit. I'm eighteen years old. This is-"

"Let him introduce himself." Ozpin cut in, holding out his hand to stop Soma. "He's a grown man."

Mithgail frowned as he watched the interaction between Soma and Ozpin. ' _Guess I have to… I want to avoid conflict as much as possible.'_ Stepping forward, Mithgail rubbed the back of his neck while forcing a smile "..."

Glancing over at his Captain, Soma couldn't help but groan. ' _Just talk. Save us time and cooperate'_

 _ **Snap…**_

"""!"""

The sound of wood snapping from the woods garnered the attention of the three men. "Let's postpone the introductions, we have company."

Four Ursa stalked out of the woods, their maws dripping saliva onto the hard, soil ground. In response to the new arrivals, Mithgail and Soma held their arms out and brought forth their respective Arcs.

Seeing the form of the two men in front of him, Ozpin felt comfortable enough to leave the Grimm to them. He did want to see what they were made of after all, and outside of fighting them himself this was his best chance. ' _I must say though, their weapons are rouse a sense of Déjà Vu in me. Why do I feel as if I have seen those weapons before?'_

As the veteran Hunter lost himself to his thoughts, the God Eaters before him launched themselves forward, kicking up a cloud of rocky brown dust in the process. Soma landed a few feet In front of one of the Ursa, prompting it to rear up in defence.

" **GRRRAAA!** " Letting out an ear piercing roar, the first Ursa swung its paw down in a diagonal arc. It's ivory claws came within inches of Soma's cheek before he swung his buster blade up, the blades edge cleaving through the meaty arm of the Grimm. " **RAAAAGH!** "

With a spray of black ash as cover, the God Eater ran through it and leaped up in the air. High above the Ursas head Soma spun before using his Arcs weight to swing himself down into a falling cartwheel. As the one armed Ursa looked up, it saw the glint of a silver edge before it hit, tearing straight down through its body from head to tail.

The ground shook as Soma landed, his God Arc creating a small crater upon contact with the ground. The Ursa in front of him spit into two halves before bursting into a cloud of Ash.

Standing up, Soma felt a rush of wind as Mithgail shot passed him. His boots met the ground in rhythm, a thin trail being carved into the soil behind him from his Scythes tip. As Mithgail neared the nearest Ursa, he planted his foot in front of him and swung his Scythe down ahead of him.

Using the length of his Arc as a pole, Mithgail propelled himself into the air above the Ursa's head with his Arc pointed down. A low grumble emanated from the core of the weapon before two black masses shot downwards gradually forming what appeared to be a vicious maw with long jagged teeth and a pair of dark violet eyes. The mass took the shape of a 'V' before it slammed closed on a portion of the Ursa's torso.

As gravity played it part and began to pull Mithgail down towards the ground, he used the strength in his back to rip the enclosed part of the Ursa off its body before being forced into a roll mid-air from his momentum. Landing on his shoulders, the scythe wielder let his body rock forward into a crouching position.

The black mass having retreated back into the weapon let out another rumble before falling silent. Turning his head, Mithgail watched the now headless Grimm dissipate into a pile of ash.

" **G-GGRRAAAAA!** " Furious, the two remaining Ursa dig their claws into the soil creating a loud crunch before breaking into a sprint towards the two God Eaters.

The first of the two opened its jaw wide and jumped for Soma's head while the other brought back its left arm to rake its claws across Mithgail's chest. Both men shared a smirk before meeting the attacks head on.

Mithgail lifted his free arm and braced himself against the swipe, grinning as he felt it come to a complete stop. Using the lack of movement as a chance, he spun under the outstretched limb and stood facing the Ursa's back. The arm in his grip grew lighter as it separated from the Ursa's body. As it turned to ash, Mithgail had already lodged the tip of his Scythe through the throat of the Ursa. With a simple tug, he loped the Grimms head clean off.

Turning his attention to Soma, the gray haired man watched as his friend rested his Arc on his shoulder while the Ursa behind him fell to the ground. " **R-Raa… gh…** " Its final sound was a growl of pain before it burst into ash like its brethren.

"Did the devour do anything for you?" Soma questioned as he strode over to his partner.

"No. It only killed the beast." Mithgail supplied as he let his Arc retreat into his armlet.

' _Impressive. They are both highly skilled, when I was their age I was nowhere near that level. Soma has physical power beyond that of most at Beacon, whether they're teachers or students. That weapon of his ripped through the Ursa like they were made of paper.'_ Ozpin watched silently as Mithgail and Soma walked back over to him. ' _And Mithgail. From the few scythe wielders that I have encountered, he may very well be the best. He is fast enough that anybody unlike Miss Rose would have no hope of catching, and while not as physically powerful as his Partner, he is far more precise and fluid. These two are truly terrifying for their age. I wonder…'_

"Old Man! Stop ignoring me already." Soma snapped as he forced his Arc to retreat into his Armlet as well. "It's annoying."

"Oh, my apologies. I was lost in thought, what were you saying?"

"Are you ready to go?" Soma repeated, his voice taking on a hint of annoyance as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Yes, I suppose so. Though I do still want to know who your friend is. I want to know before we get to Beacon." Ozpin made a point of looking at Mithgail before turning his back to them. "Well then, off we go."

Ozpin started to walk in the direction of Beacon leading the two teens behind him, both of them were following without complaint.

 **A Resonance Between Worlds.**

"Oi, don't be loitering! I'll report your ass if you don't get off my property!" The loud voice intruding on Raven's silence came from the metal door just a few feet to her left. It belonged to a middle-aged man, wearing a white bloodied apron and a white cap.

"You don't need to scream at me, I can hear you just fine old man…" Raven grumbled as she lifted her head from her knees and squinted as her eyes were assaulted by the harsh afternoon sun. ' _Guess I fell asleep, damn it I'm really falling apart.'_ Pushing herself up off the ground the dark haired woman quietly left the alley she had been occupying, ignoring the fervent cursing from the butcher.

Rubbing her eyes, Raven let her body move into the constant surge of citizens merging with the crowd. ' _I slapped a kid, I means he deserved it coming out of nowhere with those insults but still… I'm supposed to be a role model.'_ Mentally chiding herself, she almost missed the pitch black crow flying overhead ' _Qrow's home? I'll visit tomorrow. I'd rather stay away from that place for a while'_ As she reached the inn that she had been staying in, Raven broke off from the crowd and walked in through the doors. Ignoring the elderly man at the front desk, she carried herself down the hall to her room.

The old wooden floorboards creaked under her weight as she walked, the sound echoing through the empty hall accompanied by the jingle of the keys in Raven's hand. The lock on the room door clicked before the door inched open revealing a fairly empty room. The only furnishing being a singles bed with a navy blue cover, a lone nightstand on the left side of said bed and a bathroom at the opposite end of the room."I'm Home…" Closing the door behind her, Raven greeted no one but a silent room.

Turning the lock on the door, Raven let out a heavy sigh. Bending down, she unlaced her boots and kicked them off before shrugging her cloak off and tossing it on the bed. Moving towards the bathroom, she unhooked her swords and leaned them up against a wall as she passed through the threshold separating the bedroom from the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she scoffed at the reflection. "You. Who the hell are you? I know you're not Raven, you're not me… I'd never look so defeated." Gripping the edges of the porcelain sink, she grit her teeth. ' _Pathetic.'_ Reaching up, Raven pulled the mirror back revealing a medicine cabinet. Grabbing a dark blue pill bottle she twisted the cap off and shook out two white pills.

"Down the hatch…" Tilting her head back, Raven opened her mouth and clamped her hand over her mouth, wincing at the bitter taste of the pills before forcing herself to swallow. "Ugh… these taste worse every week…" Twisting the cap back on, she placed it down in the cabinet and closed it. Glancing once more at her reflection, Raven spun on her heel and left the bathroom making a beeline straight for her bed.

Jumping face first onto the bed Raven smiled as she sunk into the soft mattress, comfortable splaying out. "Mmm, I've got to say… the bed is more comfortable than it looks." As her eyelids slowly grew heavier forcing themselves closed, Raven welcomed the idea of sleep only to have the chance stolen from her by the ringing of her scroll. "Tch…" Furrowing her brows, Raven lazily patted her thigh looking for the source of the ringing. Wrapping her fingers around the scroll, she pulled it out and answered putting it to her ear. "Raven speaking…"

" _Raven. How goes your assignment?_ "

Her eyes shot open as the familiar voice rang out from the scroll. "F-Father…"

* * *

 _Skies above Vale_

' _Come on… why did she have to leave the flat?'_ The black crow soared high above the roofs of Vale, speeding towards Beacon. ' _She's better be with Ruby and her friends or I'm in for a long day…'_

Scanning the ground far below, Qrow caught a glimpse of the head of white hair belonging to none other than Shio. She was sprinting along the sidewalks, carelessly pushing her way through groups of bystanders as he rushed to wherever she was going. ' _Alright, down we go.'_ Bracing himself, Qrow turned his body down and shot towards the ground before pulling up and following in Shio's path.

' _Three…'_ Steadying his body, Qrow looked for the least populated place he could find while keeping his eyes on Shio.

' _Two…'_ Letting his grip on his semblance slip, he felt his body revert to its human form near the ground and out of sight.

"One." Now human, Qrow kicked off the ground and into a standing position before sprinting after the young girl. Why was he in such a hurry to find her? Simple, aside from her having met Raven, Qrow wanted to stop her before she reached Yang. The risk of Shio saying something was too great to let go.

Pushing his way through the people, Qrow found himself directly behind the girl as they both sprinted along the long, stone bridge leading to the academy. "Shio! It's Qrow, stop running for a second!"

The girl in question turned around with a grin, her eyes sparkling before she shook her head. "Nope! If you wanna stop me, come catch me!" With a innocent giggle, Shio moved towards the edge of the bridge and hopped up onto the barrier before leaping up onto the nearest light post.

"This isn't the time for games!" Following Shio on the ground, Qrow watched as the girl moved from post to post before jumping down into the crowd. "Son of a bitch!" Swearing to himself, Qrow pushed himself to run faster as they both neared the dormitories of the school.

 _Team RWBY's dorm, Beacon._

"Take the chance."

"No."

"It's life or death Weiss!"

"It really isn't."

"Just go with it, trust me it will be over faster if you do it now.."

"You too Blake?!" The pale heiress shrieked as she found herself confronted on all sides. Earlier in the day she had been confessed to by a classmate, caught off guard she told him to wait. Now, here in her dorm, she was met with three very different reactions. Yang was telling her to accept the confession and roll with it, while her sister was caught up in some delusion. Blake, with less of an opinion, was urging her to get it over with either way.

The problem? Weiss was too shy to turn him down, and it was becoming gradually more obvious to her teammates.

"Don't tell me you're shy… the ice princess who turns away suitors at the door?" Yang's surprise was accompanied by a wild grin, one that made Weiss shrink back into her chair.

"Shy?! But you always respond with such ease… why now?" Ruby, much like her sister was surprised but she showed a bit more concern for her new friend.

"It's.. well-"

"It's because she had time to think about it." Blake cut in, making Weiss jump in her seat. "Looks like I was right."

"Is that true?"

"Y-Yeah… It's true." Letting her head droop down, Weiss let out a sigh "I always turn people down on the spot because I put school first. Now that I have _people_ always around me, I kind of choked on my initial refusal. Now I can't think of a way to let him down easily…"

"Awww! Our little Weiss-y is fretting over a boy~!" Yang cooed as she pulled Weiss into a crushing hug, burying her in her chest. "Don't worry, I'll help you!"

"I-I don't need help! Now let me go!" Weiss snapped as she pushed herself out of suffocation, her thin arms shaking against Yang's shoulders.

"Ah! Group hug!" Ruby cheered as she leapt into the two older girls, wrapping her arms around them to the best of her ability.

"Ruby, don't you da-AH!" With cry of surprise, Weiss took the full brunt of Ruby's speed losing her balance and tumbling onto the floor with Yang.

"Hahaha" Yang laughed as she felt her younger sister snuggle into her, well her and Weiss.

"Blake! Don't just stand there, help me!" Weiss cried out as she watched Blake turn away "TRAITOR!"

Hiding her grin, Blake focused on her novel. "How? I'm Yang's partner, not yours. If anything, helping would be traitorous."

"You go girl! Team BumbleBee for the win!" Yang exclaimed before releasing her grip on Weiss. "But in all seriousness, We can be nearby if you want. As support?"

Backing of with her sister, Ruby let Weiss sit up and catch her breath. "...If you promise not to interfere."

"Promise."

"Promise!"

"Sure."

With the three confirmations, Weiss got to her feet and shook her head. "You guys are too much for me… honestly." As Ruby and Yang smiled, the young heiress moved over to her bed and fell forwards.

The sudden silence was broken by Ruby's scroll ringing. In a hurry the young girl fumbled with it before picking up "H-Hello…?"

" _Ruby_!"

"Uncle Qrow! How are you?"

" _Not the time! Listen, Open your window."_

"My window…? Wh-"

" _Just open it!"_

Confused, Ruby walked over to the window and opened it up "Okay? Happy?"

" _Now, I want you and your friends to close your eyes until I tell you otherwise."_

"What's this about?" Turning to look at her team, she silently relayed the message and they complied.

As she closed her eyes, she felt a gust of air shoot past her and into the room. On reflex, Blake pulled the door to the room open letting whatever it was escape.

The room was silent for a few minutes before Qrow spoke up again. " _Okay, you're clear. Bye."_

"A-Ah wai-!" The line went dead before Ruby could respond. Opening her eyes, she turned away from the window and ran to the door "He said we can open our eyes now!" Pulling open the door, she was greeted to an empty hallway. ' _I could've sworn Blake opened the door for something…'_

 _Dormitory Hallway, Beacon._

"Mr. Qrow?! How did you…"

"Shh, it was Magic." Grabbing Shio by the hand, Qrow led her down the hall towards the front door. "Now tell me, what did Raven say to you. Exactly."

Looking behind her, Shio pouted as she watched the dorms get further and further away "She called you a traitor. She said you betrayed your family, and that she would come back to talk to you…"

"Anything else?"

"Hmm… well she started talking to herself around the time that she said you betrayed your family. I was listening and all of a sudden she was yelling at me. It was a little weird." Furrowing her brows, the girl looked up at Qrow who was just as confused.

"Talking to herself? Was she hallucinating?"

"Hallucinating?"

"Uhh…" Scratching the back of his head, Qrow tried to think of an on-the-spot explanation. "It's when you see or hear fake things…"

"Hmm… then maybe? She seemed to think I was responding to her."

' _I'll have to talk to her about that later… my only concern is having Shio there. Raven tends to be violent around me during arguments… maybe I can pawn her off to Glynda or Ozpin for a bit…'_

Letting himself get lost in his thoughts, Qrow walked in silence as they set foot back on the bridge between the school and the city, completely ignoring Shio who had taken to occupying herself by looking at the surrounds.

 _Beacon Bridge, Southside._

"It's a big school."

"Yes, I'm quite proud to be its headmaster. Now, before we go any further I want at least his name." Ozpin, having grown tired of asking decided to offer a much less Intrusive option.

Soma glanced at his Captain, he too having grown tired of the silence. ' _At this point you're just impeding progress. Come on…'_

"..." Staring at the headmaster, Mithgail sighed. "Mithgail. My name is Mithgail."

"Last name?"

"Non-existent."

"You don't have a last name? How is that possible." Ozpin questioned as he looked up at Soma who just shrugged.

"Don't ask me, he barely talks to his team. You're lucky you got this." Turning his attention to his Captain, Soma couldn't help but wonder the same ' _What happened before I met you? Why are you so… guarded?'_

"It doesn't matter, My name is Mithgail and I'm his Captain. Ask me something else and I won't respond again. Choose your words carefully headmaster."

' _What the hell are you doing?! Don't threaten our only way into this place!'_ Soma roared in his mind as he watched Ozpin narrow his eyes. ' _Nice…'_

"Fine. I'll stay away from anything personal on the terms that you speak to me from now on. At least in response to simple questions."

' _Accept it Captain…'_

"..." Staring Ozpin down, Mithgail nodded "Agreed."

""Thank God."" Ozpin and Soma muttered in response before the headmaster stood up straight. "In that case, welcome to my baby. Beacon Academy. It acts as both a high school and college according to some of my colleagues."

"How is it both?"

"I have a bad habit of admitting students in before their time, so bad in fact that most people just refer to it by its name to avoid the confusion."

"I- have no words for that." Soma deadpanned as he watched groups of students walk around them. ' _From what I've seen i'd refer to it as a high school… but that's just me.'_ Growing tired of the stares, Soma spoke up once more "Ozpin, do you mind if we move? All the staring it starting to irritate me."

"Of course, right this way th-" Ozpin nodded as he turned around fully understanding Soma's irritation, however he is cut off by a feminine yell.

"Soma…?!"

Two pairs of eyes shot open as the voice rang out, the man in question felt his heart stop. "S-Shio…?"

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed, see you next time.**


	6. Forever Fall Pt1

**Hey everyone, sorry this chapter took so long. Exams took up most of my time. I apologize if there are any inconsistencies in this chapter, I took a lot of breaks in between writing sessions. All that aside, I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Shio…?"

Soma watched as Shio pulled her hand away from the man beside her before running towards him.

"Go, you know you want to." Mithgail whispered as he pushed Soma forward, smiling at the stunned teens reaction to the girl running towards him. "The team isn't here, no one will know about your soft side."

Gritting his teeth, Soma stumbled forwards before breaking into a run. "Shio!"

The girl in question smiled in response, stretching her arms out. She giggled as she felt her body leave the ground, Soma having grabbed her waist and pulled her into the air.

"I-I never thought I'd see you again after you sacrificed yourself… I-" Holding Shio against his chest, Soma took a deep breath before putting the girl down. "Sorry. I let my emotions run wild for a bit there… I'm glad to see you Kid."

"Hehe, it's okay Soma. I love you too~" Giggling, Shio hugged Soma's waist before walking past him leaving the teen stunned. "Captain!"

"Hey shortie, how'd you get here?" Mithgail asked as he knelt down in front of the girl, rustling her hair slightly with his hand. "Were you eaten by an Aragami too…?"

The word sent off warning alarms in both Qrow's and Ozpin's heads. "Eaten…? No I just kinda woke up here. That's all I- wait! You two were eaten?!"

"Uh, yeah. In a way I guess haha." Mithgail chuckled darkly as he thought back to his last moments in the Far East.

"That's means you two lost… Soma! Are you okay?! I-Is everything working right? You're not like super hurt and playing it off right?" Spinning away from Mithgail, Shio all but leaped over to Soma her eyes wide with worry.

"I-I'm fine. Aside from a bit of a sore neck I'm fine." Patting her head to quell her concern, Soma offered up a small smile. "If anything the Captain would be in worse condition, he went at it guns blazing. I was just his back up."

"He'll be fine, he's a monster like you and I. All of the first unit is." Shio smiled before sighing, "At least you're safe."

"I could say the same to you."

In the background, Ozpin moved over to Qrow's side. "They're all from another world."

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that. Think that'll be a problem?" Glancing over Soma and Mithgail, Qrow felt a sense of unease wash over him.

"No. Not as long as they're on our side, in the event that they do become hostile… I'd rather not think about the outcome. Neither side would really win."

"What about the Aragami? This is three people from their side, whose to say that the Aragami won't find their way over next…?"

Narrowing his eyes, Ozpin thought on the possibility of an Aragami infestation, "They could already be here… remember the Beowulf that you killed when you first found Shio?"

"The bastard that did handstands? Yeah, what about him?" Qrow asked as he thought back to the day.

"Shio said that her weapon was what caused it. Something in the weapon stopped the Grimm from dissipating and then mutated it into what you saw. If their weapons do the same then we need to keep them away from the Grimm as much as possible. From what I've seen they tend to make sure that their prey is finished, but anything can happen." Clenching his fists, Ozpin donned a look of determination "I know just how to keep them under control."

"How…?" Watching his longtime friend walk towards the newcomers, Qrow sighed. "Oh. School, got it." Scratching his neck, he pat his hip looking for his flask ' _Damn… must have gotten swept away in the current the other day. That one was my favorite too.'_

Ignoring the students walking by Ozpin stopped dead in the center of the bridge, drawing the attention of both Mithgail and Soma. Shio, on the other hand, was too busy daydreaming to pay much attention. "Ahem. As you two are considered criminals, I would like you to accompany me to my office. As much as I hate ruining such a heartwarming reunion, I don't want to put my students at risk. As for Ms. Shio, I will notify your instructors of your absence. You are exempt from class today."

"Mm-hmm!"

"Oh! So that's why you seemed smarter to me, you've been learning!" Mithgail quipped, making the white haired girl blush and puff her cheek out.

"At least somebody tried to teach me…"

"Hey, I resent that remark!" Mithgail snapped before crossing his arms. "I taught you how to read."

"That was Ms Sakuya…"

"Yeah? Well… Soma couldn't stop moping when you left." Deftly changing the subject, he watched as Shio flushed a bright red and grinned. "As long as you don't ask anything personal then I have no problem accompanying you."

"Same for me Old man, just lead the way." Ignoring the girl who was once again stuck to his hip, Soma accepted making the headmaster nod.

"Will you be accompanying us as well Qrow? Or do you have another pressing matter?"

"Unfortunately, I have somebody waiting for me at home. I'll have to leave Shio in your care, though I don't see that being a problem. Right, Shio?"

"Nope! I have my family with me so I'm fine!" Shio exclaimed as she latched onto Soma's shoulders and pulled herself up. "Onwards, my noble steed! To the headmaster's office!"

Offering up little resistance, Soma silently began to follow after Ozpin who had already started to walk away from the group. "You don't talk much hey?"

"..."

"Alllright… listen. After you're done with your business here I want to talk to you. You should both be free around five so meet me then." Sticking his hands in his pocket, Qrow stood beside Mithgail. "You and Soma seem like the hero type, so I'm sure you'll want to hear me out." Mithgail remained silent, only turning his head slightly to glance at Qrow's retreating form. "See ya, Kid!"

"Come on, Captain! We'll leave without you!" Snapping towards the voice, Mithgail grinned as he saw Shio waving him down from the elevator connected to the main building.

Jogging up to the group, he stopped by Soma's side as they waited for the elevator "It kinda feels like we're being questioned by the director…"

"I feel the same way Cap, just you know, he doesn't seem to be nearly as megalomaniacal."

"Megalomaniacal? What's that mean Soma?" Shio chirped from over his shoulder as she hung off his back, her chin on his collarbone.

"Crazy. It's just a fancy word to say that somebody thinks they're invincible."

"Like you and the Captain?" Shio asked as the group made their way to the headmasters office.

"N-No… we're just a bit… excitable. The old Director wanted to control the human race, he thought that he was right and we were wrong."

"But… he didn't think he was invincible. He welcomed death didn't he…?" Shio questioned, as the silver elevator doors slowly pulled apart.

"The sense of invincibility manifests itself in many ways, whether it be physical, spiritual or mental. Just one of these can lead somebody down a very dark path. In this man's case, he seems to have believed that despite his death, his dream would live on forever." Having listened in on the conversation, Ozpin decided to pitch in.

"Ohh…" Seemingly satisfied, Shio fell silent as the group boarded the elevator. A loud ding rang out before the two doors closed and the elevator jerked upwards as it began its ascent to Ozpin's floor.

 **A Resonance Between Worlds.**

 _Raven's Room, Vale._

"It's going well. As I promised, I will be making contact with Qrow before the day comes to a close."

" _I see. You haven't stopped taking your medication, right?"_

"No. I just took my dose before you called w-"

" _Just? You've gone the whole week without it?"_

"Whole week? What do you mean father, it's only Monday." Sitting up, Raven pulled her scroll away from her ear and opened up her calendar. Her eyes opened as she read the date ' _Friday…?'_

" _That's what I thought. Listen Raven, you absolutely must_ not _forget to take your pills. Without them you'll lose sense of yourself, we've been over this."_

"I am sorry, Father." Raven whisper as the tone of disappointment made itself clear in her father's voice. "It won't happen again."

" _Make sure it doesn't. As of right now you are behind on your mission, I will forgive this only once. If your negligence gets in the way of your operation again… it won't matter if you're my daughter. You'll be punished the same way Qrow will be. Understood?"_

"Y-Yes…"

" _Good. Carry on then, I will check back in this time next month. If you haven't made progress by then, I will be forced to take action. Don't disappoint me."_

With that the line went dead, leaving Raven to sit in the silence. Staring down at her scroll, she felt her teeth clench before she whipped her scroll across the room. The slim scroll hit the wall before cracking and falling to the floor. "Damn him! How dare he treat me like I'm some unstable child, I'm more than capable of handling this. He doesn't need to threaten me!" Raven roared as she beat her fist against the mattress of the bed. "I swear to God, the day he turns his back to me I'll tear the clan right out from under him."

Furious, Raven stormed over to her swords and quickly attached them to her hip. "The foolish old man…" Glaring down at one of her swords, Raven spun on her heel and walked over to the door where she stepped into her boots and retrieved her cloak. ' _You watch. I'll bring Qrow home in a bodybag. What'll you do then? If I eliminate our clan's greatest threat, without your help, what will you do other than grow jealous?'_ Slamming the door behind her, Raven covered herself with the cloak before returning to the busy streets of Vale her eyes alight.

 _Beacon Auditorium, Beacon._

"Once again, I apologize for suddenly pulling you away from your classes and the rest of your team. Before we go any further I would like to thank you all for volunteering to attend this assembly. Now, the reason I called you all here was to let you know that for our trip out into Forever Fall to gather honey, will be pushed to tomorrow. I wanted to make sure that the message was clearly understood so I called you all here personally." Glynda announced through the mic as she stared at the group of students gathered. "Please let the rest of your team know and be here tomorrow. Please inform your other teachers so they won't mark you truant. Good Day _."_ With that, Glynda turned and walked offstage. ' _The trip was supposed to be today, but that sudden call from Lionheart forced the schedule to change a bit. These two better be worth the drama he caused._ ' Disappearing behind the curtains, Glynda left the thirty-odd students in the room alone.

"Sooo… we get today to prep right? That means two days without class…? Awesome."

"No, Yang. Why would we prep for gathering honey? The only day off, if you want to call it that, is tomorrow." Weiss corrected as she immediately turned towards the exit, ready to return to her first class. "I'm just happy I don't have to miss the exam in fourth."

"Awh, come on Weiss! Don't be stuck a stick in the ice, skip with me!" Yang exclaimed as she pulled Weiss back into her chest. "One day isn't going to hurt."

"It will with your grades I, on the other hand, would survive." Weiss snapped coolly as she pushed the busty blonde away from her. "You need to focus on class more, instead of sleeping and picking up boys. Even Ruby chose to study instead of coming here, you should learn from her."

"Ah! Boys! That's right, you still need to reject that poor guy!" Yang continued, pointedly ignoring the comment about her grades. "Let's go find him!"

"No. Now come on, we're going to class." Grabbing Yang by the wrist, the white haired teen led her teammate out of the auditorium.

"But I don't wannaaa!"

"Neither does Ruby, but she still goes!"

"All she does is doodle and sleep! I can't do that, my boobs get in the way of both!" Yang complained, her comment making Weiss come to a stand still.

"Well, that sounds like a you problem now doesn't it? Now if you don't shut up and come quietly I'll freeze your lips shut, okay?" Her voice was quiet as she glared at Yang from the corner of her eye, the blonde instantly falling silent. ' _Geez… how immature.'_ Letting go of Yang, Weiss slowed down so they were walking at the same pace.

"That was a real icy stare Weiss."

"..."

"Giving me the cold shoulder now?"

"..."

"You really are an Ice Queen, wow." Yang mumbled as she trailed behind Weiss.

"I'll make good on my threat. Don't test me." Weiss warned as she felt her brow twitch.

"Ooo, I must be walking on thin ice now. I'll tread lightly."

"..." Shaking her head, Weiss calmed herself down. ' _If Ruby can deal with her, then so can I. I'll just ignore her.'_

Just across from Weiss and Yang were Pyrrha and Jaune. Both members of team JNPR enjoying the time away from Nora and Ren.

"I've been meaning to ask, why are you so passive around Cardin? Is it because you think you're weak?" Deciding to get the question off her chest, the red head spoke up breaking the silence. She was wearing the standard girls uniform, only having swapped the knee socks out for black tights like Ruby.

"No… well, kinda. All I can say right now is that I just don't like being the center of attention. My palms get all sweaty, my knees get shaky and I get dizzy." Jaune sighed, jamming his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants. "I can tell you the rest later… if you know. You want to listen?"

Smiling, Pyrrha nodded. "Of course, I'll listen whenever you'd like me to."

"Thanks Pyrrha, how about this afternoon on the roof? It shouldn't be too busy then. If you don't mind at least?"

"Sounds like a date, but for now let's get back to class okay? It wouldn't bode well for us to be late to Professor Port's class. Despite his big heart, he tends to make his detentions unbelievably long. That and he's super boring."

"Right! I thought I was alone, but he's a total snore fest! When he was talking about the time he fought off an Ursa bare handed I almost fell asleep…" Jaune exclaimed as he saw the main building come into view.

"Almost? You were drooling on my shoulder Jaune." Pyrrha corrected, smirking slightly ' _It was cute.'_

"R-Really?! I'm so sorry… that must have been embarrassing." Jaune hurriedly apologized to his teammate, openly showing a side of him that only his and some of team RWBY have seen.

' _He's fun to be around when he's not so guarded, that facade that he puts on around others isn't him.'_ Waving off his apology, Pyrrha giggled "Don't worry, I didn't mind. Really." As her friend relaxed she watched him walk ahead of her to open the door ' _He's much cooler like this.'_

"Ladies first." With a grin and a bow, Jaune let Pyrrha walk through the doorway before following her in. The two teens made their way through the halls of the building before turning into Port's class.

"Ah, it seems we're all here!" Ports voice boomed from the center of the room. "If you would all take your seats, we can start today's lesson." A collective of groans sounded off as everybody reluctantly sat down. "Wonderful now, unfortunately, I don't have the opportunity to share one of my stories with you. A-"

"WOOO!" The walls of the glass shook as every student cheered, their fists shooting into the air.

"According to the headmaster!" Port yelled over them, "I am required to show this film about Grimm. Please stay silent for the duration of this film, there will be an exam on it after." Walking over to the corner of the room, Port turned off the lights and flipped a switch that lowered a large white screen in the center of the room.

After a few seconds, the screen came to life and displayed the opening credits of the documentary. ' _Alright, I'll let them watch this. I need to mark anyways'_ Ducking behind the screen, Port moved over to his desk and sat down. Pulling out the previous tests, mentally groaning as he read over the answers. ' _I wonder what Ozpin is up to right now…?'_

 _Ozpin's Office, Beacon._

"So now that we're alone, let's talk shall we?" Ozpin sat down in the chair across from Mithgail and Soma. "You two are considered criminals."

"Why?"

"Assault, intent to trespass and for causing bodily harm to a _group_ of officials." Leaning back into his chair, Ozpin stared at the two boys sitting in front of him. "I can exempt you from these charges if you agree to co-operate with me, and in extension Beacon."

"Cooperate in what way?" Mithgail asked as he leaned forward on his knees.

"Join my school. We could always use new stude-"

"Not happening."

"No way."

The two God Eaters immediately shot down Ozpin's request.

"You both refuse…?" Ozpin's eyes opened wide before he collected himself. "Well… I've never really dealt with this kind of situation before."

"What, being rejected?" Shio chirped as she peeked out from behind Soma.

"No- well, yes." Ozpin nodded before looking up as the doors to his office creaked open. "Ah, Glynda. Welcome."

"Are these the two delinquents that Lionheart was talking about?" Glynda asked, storming up to Ozpin's desk.

"Yes, they are."

"Why is Shio so close to them? She's impressionable, they'll rub off on her." Looking over her shoulder, the blonde professor shot a glare at Mithgail and Soma.

"Well we haven't rubbed off on her yet, besides I'm sure she'd live better carefree like us than uptight like you." Soma shrugged, ignoring the heat from her glare.

"Please, before you get into an argument let me clarify." Holding his hand up, Ozpin shushed Glynda. "These two are old acquaintances of Shio's. From what I saw, they aren't bad people but the charges remain against them."

"You invited them to attend didn't you?"

"Yes. They declined instantly." Ozpin sighed as he turned to look at the boys.

"I see, then despite them being Shio's friends they must be charged." Turning around Glynda saw Shio peeking out from behind Soma, her eyes wide at the thought of her friends getting in trouble. "Unless they become civil servants. In that case we can give them asylum."

"Civil servants? In what way…?" Soma asked, reluctantly leaning back as Shio pulled herself up higher.

"If you can fight, then hunters." Glynda began, leaning against the desk behind her. "Every Kingdom has some kind of specialized force acting as a front-line defense before us. Mistral has their Samurai, Vacuo has their Mercenary groups and Atlus has their Special Ops team." Ozpin, having caught on, brought up three images of the groups mentioned behind Glynda. "Beacon, however, has nothing. Just the Huntsman and huntresses that aren't on missions."

"You want us to protect you? Not hap-"

"Soma." Mithgail spoke up, catching Glynda's attention. "This is a perfect opportunity for us. We establish the defense squad they're looking for and in return, we learn of this world. It's a win-win."

"Captain…?"

"Ozpin, we will take up this post. However, the details of what we are called are to be left to us. No one is to be added to my squadron unless I give my explicit approval. No one is to follow us at any time. If they do, then this deal will be nullified. Understood?"

"Hold it! Who do you think you are? We can easily find people just as suited to do th-"

"Agreed. Thank you for your service Captain, now I apologize for the rush but could you and Mr. Schikshal wait outside with Shio? We will discuss the particulars later."

With a silent nod, Mithgail stood up and motioned for Soma to follow. The two God Eaters left the room with Shio in tow.

"Ozpin! What the hell were you thinking?! Never before have I _ever_ seen you take demands that passively before. They may be Shio's acquaintance's but they're not ours, we can't trust them!" Glynda yelled as she slammed her hands down on Ozpin's desk, her eyes alight with fury.

"Soma, the man that Peter told us about when we first found Shio. "

"What about him?"

"He had physical prowess far surpassing what someone of his age should have. His Captain, despite being weaker, uses his speed and skill with his weapon, to match, if not surpass Soma." Rubbing his temples, Ozpin sighed. "If we leave them to their own devices, we run the risk of them siding with our enemy. You know what that means right?"

"I do…"

"Then until we earn their trust, we have to keep them on a long, but tight leash."

"I understand that, and I can accept it for now. Doesn't mean I have to like it…" She leaned back on her heel, before letting out a sigh "How are we supposed to keep them in our sight?" Glynda asked as she fought off a migraine.

"Shio. They both care for Shio, and she cares for the school. As long as she stays here, they will _always_ return here."

"You're serious about this? You want them to protect the school?"

"Yes. I'd rather have them fighting with us instead of against us." Standing up, Ozpin walked around to the front of his desk. "I can only hope we befriend them before the inevitable happens.

 _Hallway, Beacon._

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I want to protect them as much as possible. From what I've seen their creatures aren't as sturdy as the Aragami. With our Arcs, it'll be easy." Holding out his arm, Mithgail stared down at his armlet "Besides, we're the first two God Eaters to set foot in another world. We can use this as an opportunity to establish a Branch here."

"Branch? You want to move Fenrir here?" Soma asked as he leaned against a nearby wall. "I'm assuming that's what you'll name our squad?"

"Yeah. Fenrir, and if someone asks what is stands for we could say: First. Encounter. Neo. Response and Investigation. Regiment." Mithgail turned to look back at the door to Ozpin's office. "Our name aside, I hope that Ozpin understands why I want total reign over the squad."

' _Seriously…? How much thought did you put into that…?'_ Soma thought to himself as he watched Mithgail talk

"It's to protect the other students right…?" Looking up, Shio donned a look of curiosity.

"Yeah. You know that us God Eaters aren't very spatially aware when we fight, if we need someone to fight with us I want them to be professional. Someone who can switch tactics in the middle of an attack, and one who'd be willing to kill their allies if the situation called for it."

"Why would they need to do that?" Shio questioned, "None of them can fall to the infection right?"

"No, but we can."

"Soma…? I thought that you and the Captain had a resistance to it."

"We do, but that also means that the risk of infection is greater. The more our cells reject the oracle cells the more often we burn out." Kneeling down, Soma patted Shio on the head "If we burn out, our defenses drop and we are put at risk of being devoured by the oracle cells."

"But… wouldn't sleeping do that too?"

"No, since whe-"

"We can get sicker than others. It's just harder." Mithgail cut in, kneeling down beside Soma.

"Ohh! That makes more sense!" Shio smiled before the bell rung out. "Ah! I've gotta go see my friends, I'll see you here later okay…?"

"Why don't we come with you?"

"N-No. It's okay, I'll introduce you another time. Okay?"

"Are you embarrassed by us?" Soma asked, watching as Shio slowly backed towards the elevator,

"No! My friends are just… I'm still getting to know them. I'll introduce you guys once we know each other better, deal?" Immediately dismissing Soma's concern, Shio explained herself a bit.

Sharing a look, both Mithgail and Soma nodded. ""Deal.""

"Great! I'll see you guys around then!" Smiling, Shio ran down the hall towards the elevator before boarding it. The image of her two friends slowly shrunk before disappearing completely behind the two metal doors. Now alone, the young girl leaned against the side of the moving container, letting out a quiet sigh "I don't know how to explain them to Ruby and the others. I know Blake doesn't trust me, and Yang has started to feel the same… even though I've been told otherwise. I don't want them to think I'm lying."

Staring at her reflection, she watched her own emotions play through her eyes. "I'm going to patch things up with Blake and Yang. After that I'll tell them the truth… Maybe." The ding of the doors opening pulled Shio from her thoughts, her eyes glanced to the side and watched as the new occupant stepped inside.

"Ms. Shio? Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"No, the headmaster said I was free to skip today…" Shio muttered as she stood up. "Where are you going Mr. Port?"

"To lunch… are you alright?" The teacher knelt down to talk to Shio, face to face. Port's expression was one of concern, much like the concern a teacher displays with a failing student.

"I'm a bit worried… my friends showed up and they want to meet Ruby and the others." Turning to face Port, Shio frowned. "How do I deal with this? Feeling worried… it's not something I'm used to feeling."

"Not used to feeling worried? Well… when I'm worried I usually think about what's making me worried and try to fix it." Port supplied, pulling on the side of his mustache slightly. "Why not try sharing it with me and we can try and find a way to fix it?"

"You sure?"

"Of course! I'm your teacher, why wouldn't I listen to your troubles?" Smiling, Port stood up tall "Let it all out!"

Nodding, Shio looked up at her professor "Well, to start I feel like I made Ms. Blake and Ms. Yang upset. They say that they're fine, but I know that it's a lie. Then with my other friends, I don't think that they'll fit in very well here. They're too serious you know?"

"Too serious? In what way?" Port asked, watching with slight amusement as Shio struggled to find a way to clarify.

"Well… they've seen a lot of death and stuff so they're kinda closed off. They don't really trust or rely on anyone but themselves." Shio said as she crossed her arms. ' _I really have to thank Ms. Glynda… I've learned so much from her books. It really helps me when I'm talking to other people.'_

"Oh? Is that so…?" Adopting a frown, Port watched the silver doors pull apart "Hm, come on. Let's go find Ms. Rose and her friends, then you can ask them personally."

"Huh…? But I just told you I don't want to introduce them ye- hey!" Digging her heels into the elevator floor, Shio pulled against Port who had grabbed her by the wrist "Why does everyone I meet just tug on me!"

"Because… you're hard to work- with!" With a little effort, Port had forced Shio out of the elevator and into the hallway. "You act your age when you're flustered, I've seen it. Now come along, they should be getting ready for third period."

' _You're hard to work with…'_ Pouting, Shio watched as the surrounding students tried to hide their interest. "Isn't third period your class Sir?" Glancing up at the man before her, she asked the most obvious question she could think of.

"Yes. It is."

"Won't you be late if you're dragging me? or if you go for lunch…?"

"Ah! You're right!" Stopping dead in his tracks, Port turned to face Shio "You're absolutely right! But don't worry, I was in this situation in my golden days. I had to meet up with my team after a mission but I had an orphaned child that refused to evacuate. With the oncoming Grimm horde I only had one choice…"

' _Abandon the child…? I didn't think he was the ty-!'_ Shio's thoughts were cut off by surprise as the ceiling suddenly got closer. "W-What?"

"I had to carry him to safety!" With Shio over his head, Port rushed down the hall towards his class. "I apologize, but this is a win/ win for us! It has to be done!"

"I don't care, just put me dooown!" Shio yelped as she felt the eyes of the students around her. ' _This is what it means to be embarrassed right? It sucks!'_

 _Ports class, Beacon._

"So, what are we going to do about Shio…?" Yang whispered, leaning towards Blake so no one else would hear.

"Well, I want to fight her again. There was something about her, her strength wasn't human."

"Think she's a Faunus?"

"No, even then it'd be hard to believe. For a girl of her size to hit like that… to move the way she does." Blake muttered as she leaned back in her seat "She wasn't even trying, she was just having fun Yang. I lost to a little girl that fought like it was a game. She was _playing._ "

"So what? She enjoys fighting, I do too. What's the diff?"

"You can't beat a Deathstalker singlehandedly, can you?"

"Well, not yet. But I'm almost there! Kinda…" Yang sunk into her seat before grinning "Hey, why don't we both fight her tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Blake glanced at Yang, confused. "What's tomorrow?"

"Our trip with Glynda. We'll be in the forest which means that we will have plenty of opportunities to confront her. Sound good?"

"Well… yeah, but why do you want to fight her?"

"Cause she seems strong, and y'know… strong people are fun." Yang shrugged, offering up a less than appropriate reason.

"Riiight…" Rolling her eyes, Blake nodded "It's a plan then. Tomorrow we confront Shio."

"-OWN!"

""Huh?""

"I cannot do that! When my student is distressed it is my duty to offer help, which is what I'm doing!" Port exclaimed as he opened the door at the back of the class, still holding a squirming Shio above his head.

"I'm not distressed! Just lemme down!" Shio cried out, gripping the top of the doorframe.

"This is why kids shouldn't be in this school. This is a perfect example of how much trouble the little pests cause us."

From the back of the class, Cardins' voice rang out. A few scattered murmurs proved that while harsh, his beliefs were accepted by more than a couple others.

"What was that, Mr. Winchester?" Port glanced over at the young man, who just shrugged off his teacher's question. In the moment that he was distracted, Shio pulled herself out of Ports grasp. Landing on her feet, she spun around and ran out of Ports grasp. "Hey! Don't run from your issues!"

"I'll solve them tomorrow, just leave me alone for now!" Backing away from Port, Shio frowned "By the way, don't forget to eat your lunch."

"Was that Shio…?"

"Yeup…"

"I- have no words."

Shaking her head, Weiss picked up her pen and prepared to take her seemingly endless notes for the class.

"I wish I could skip class too…"

"Ruby! You need to be in class to learn, you know that right?"

"Well, yeah. But you skip a lot right Yang?"

"I… well you're not wrong." Yang sunk into her seat to avoid her little sisters questioning stare.

"Then why can't I…? It's not like I miss anything important in Professor Port's class."

"You miss the experience of it Miss Rose. Despite contrary belief, learning of another hunter conquests help you to come up with your own strategies and tactics to tackle new Grimm as well as polish and refine old maneuvers for Grimm you've already fought." Walking past team RWBY, Port came to a stop in the middle of the class "and Unlike your sister, you actually care about learning. All she cares about is killing Grimm."

"Hey!" Yang shouted, sitting up straight.

"Am I wrong?" Port asked, crossing his arms as he leveled his eyes with Yang's.

"Totally! I can fight just a smartly as the next girl!"

"..." Port fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Would you care to demonstrate this ability then? Can you defeat the boarbatusk in the corner there with brains, not brawn?"

"You bet your as- butt I can!" Yang caught herself mid-sentence and stood up. "Let it out Prof. I got this".

As Yang made her way down to the center of the class her teammates, sans Ruby, shook their heads.

"We've got to work that hot-headedness out of her…" Blake muttered as she closed her book and rested her arms on the desk in front of her.

"Agreed. It'll get her in a lot trouble one day, she could get seriously injured." Putting her pen down, Weiss watched as her blonde teammate took a stance in the center of the class.

"Nahhhh. Yang's awesome the way she is, you watch. Hot headed or not she'll win this fight!" Grinning, Ruby leaned against her desk her eyes alight with excitement and anticipation.

"Are you prepared?"

"You know it!"

Nodding, Port pulled back the lock on a small black cage that he had dragged out. The gate flung open as a spinning black ball shot out barreling towards Yang.

' _I don't know why Prof. is being so well… whatever you call this, today.'_ Sidestepping out of the way, Yang watched the ball smash into the wall surrounded by an eruption of drywall and steel. ' _All I know is that he pissed me off, and this is the perfect outlet!'_

As the ball began moving once more, Yang dropped down slightly and put her hands out catching the Grimm. She dug her feet into the floor as it began to push her back.

"Remember. _Brains_. Not _Brawn._ "

"I know…!" Gripping the Grimm, Yang swung herself over the top of it making sure not to let go. Using her momentum, she lifted the Grimm up off the ground and threw it down in front of her.

The Boarbatusk bounced further away from her before unrolling itself. " **Rrrrrgg…** " Shaking its head, the boarbatusk steadied itself before it turned to face Yang.

Piercing red eyes peered out from behind its elephant-like masks. Lowering its head, the Boarbatusk aimed its tusks at the blonde and charged.

' _Brains.. brains… ah!'_ Waiting for the Grimm to get close enough, Yang jumped in the air. She landed in the center of its tusks forcing the Grimm down to the floor. "There! It can't move now!" Yang crouched down and pressed her hand against the top of its head to keep it still.

"Very good… now. Get it back into the cage without letting it free."

"Sure!" Yang dragged the Grimm across the floor inch by inch before she felt the cold metal of a gun barrel against her back.

"If you were in the wild you'd be dead." Port said as he swung his weapons around in his hand. "Your response should have been ' _No. Too much risk,'_ that would have been the smart thing, but you chose to do the thing that would most display your physical strength. Keeping a Grimm contained with your bare hands." He walked around Yang and pressed his boot into the Grimms back. "Please take your seat."

"But-!"

"Seat. You. Go."

With a huff, Yang stood up and made her way back to her seat.

"Way to go! You totally nailed it blondie!"

"You wanna go du-"

"Enough." Port stopped the brewing argument between Yang and Cardin before forcing the Boarbatusk back into the cage. "The reason I asked you to do that is because you'll all be in Forever Fall tomorrow. You need to gather the sap while keeping an eye out for Grimm. In this case you will have to flee instead of fight, there are too many unknowns that could end up killing one of you."

"Sir, why do you seem so upset today?" A random student called out, disregarding Port's warning to voice the question on everyone's minds.

"I'm not upset, I just want to make sure that no one gets hurt tomorrow." His voice carried a hint of concern as Port moved towards his desk. "Would you rather I share my stories with you?"

"No!" An almost immediate, unified reply sounded off making Port chuckle slightly.

"In that case, I want you all to make and share tactics amongst your team. Make sure that you have at least one escape plan for each Grimm found within the forest, I'll be checking before you leave today."

""Ughhhh~"" Every student groaned as Port turned away from them. It was the first time he actually made them do something, and nobody was happy about it.

 _Team JNPR_

"I don't know about you guys, but I think Yang handled that pretty well."

"Maybe the first half, but I can understand where he was coming from for the second half." Pyrrha looked up from her notebook to respond to Nora.

"Besides, you have the same problem she does Nora."

"Huh? What's that Ren?"

"You don't think."

"Hey! That's not true! I think about… things. Sometimes." Nora trailed off, blushing slightly under Ren's gaze "Ugh! Let's stop talking about me and start doing the work!"

"Agreed, let's not waste time." Pyrrha nodded, glancing over at Jaune who was already writing in his notebook. ' _There we go. I think we just found what you're good at. Let's see what you've got shall we?'_

Leaning over, Pyrrha peered at Jaunes sheet reading it over in her mind.

 _ **Beowulf:**_

 _ **Run.**_

 _ **Ursa:**_

 _ **Run Faster.**_

' _Seriously…? Ah! He has it separated into steps here…'_

 _ **King Taijitu**_

 _ **Step one:**_

 _ **Cry.**_

 _ **Step two:**_

 _ **Run.**_

 _ **Step three:**_

 _ **Find Pyrrha and hide behind her.**_

' _I… I don't know if I should be happy or disappointed. At least he's got the idea- oh, he's writing.'_

 _ **Pyrrha, stop looking at my sheet. You're embarrassing me.**_

Pyrrha looked up and met Jaune's eyes. "Is all that…"

"Because I knew? Yeah."

"So it's all fake?"

"Mhmm. Well most of it at least." Jaune shrugged as he ripped the page out of his book and crumpled it up. "I actually would hide behind you, you're a total badass so I'd feel safe."

"O-Oh. Well, thank you! That's very sweet of you." Pyrrha smiled, blushing faintly.

"They're in love…" Nora whispered as she wrote down whatever came to mind.

"She's in love with him, but he's too stupid to realize it. Our fearless leader sees her more like a sister." Ren corrected as he closed his book. "Ahem! We're waiting on you two, so hurry up okay? I don't want to miss the special at lunch. You know how Nora gets when she's hungry."

"Of course! Sorry about that, I got distracted." Pyrrha nodded as she scribbled down her go to tactics.

Jaune, on the other hand, wrote down a few basic things he had picked up in Glynda's class. ' _Distract the Beowulfs with loud noises then hide and keep silent. Get behind the Ursa and climb the nearest tree before using large branches as platforms. For the King Taijitu… well I'd probably just cry and run.'_

Closing his book, Jaune set his pencil down and grinned. "All done!" He exclaimed proudly as he leaned back in his seat.

"Want a medal?!" Cardin shouted down at him making Jaune flinch a bit in his seat.

' _Ignore it… just play along.'_ Forcing a smile, Jaune glanced behind him and stared at Cardin. "Nah… the only one who deserves a medal is you!"

Cardin narrowed his eyes before clicking his tongue, "Whatever…"

"He's so… cruel. Calling you out like that in class."

"It's fine Pyrrha, really. I'll survive, it's not like he's actually _doing_ anything to me. Just ignore it." Grabbing his notebook, Jaune stood up and walk away from his seat. ' _I need to play the fool… I can't let anyone find out that I don't belong here.'_ As he approached Port's desk, his thoughts were drowned out by the sound of the bell ringing.

' _Half period today hey? Perfect. Gives me plenty of time to train.'_ Jaune came to a stop in front of Port's desk and laid his notebook down for him, "Done, sir."

"Are you? This better not all say run…" Picking up the book, Port scanned the page and smiled. ' _Impressive. These are just basics but… he's put his own spin on them. He might just be one to watch…'_ He handed Jaune back his notebook and nodded "Its acceptable, you and your team may leave."

"My whole team sir? I thought you wanted to see the-"

"Ever heard the saying ' _don't look a gift horse in the mouth'_?"

"Yeah." Jaune smiled before he backed away from Port's desk. "I got it, see you in two days then Sir!" The blonde teen quickly made his way to the back of the class and motioned down for his team to follow.

"Guess they're done. Come on, we can't lose out to em!" Ruby exclaimed as she grabbed her book and rushed down to Port's desk.

"She's such a kid…"

"We're all kids Weiss." Yang shrugged as she watched her little sister explain herself to their teacher. "She's just purer than we are."

"Huh? What's with you getting all serious?" Weiss asked as she turned to look at the blonde.

"Just being honest." Yang replied before standing up with her own book, "Port was right, and none of us are prepared to survive on our own."

"Well obviously, that's why we're here. To get stronger."

"Sometimes strength isn't enough remember? We need to focus more on making our team chemistry skyrocket than getting stronger ourselves. Now come on, we should spend the day working on our team."

Both Blake and Weiss shared a look before nodding. They couldn't disagree with Yang, she wasn't wrong. "In that case let's go to lunch, as a team not as students."

"Good idea Blake! See? You can come up with good ideas when you're talking!" Yang grinned as she pulled the black haired girl into her. ' _Once we get everything settled with Shio I'll make sure that we become the best team here.'_

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

 _Ozpin's office, Beacon_

' _What to do… what to d- hmm?'_ Glancing up, Ozpin watched his door open. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I was hoping to get the details of our role out of the way now since both of our partners are here."

"I suppose so, is that fine with you Glynda?" Ozpin looked over at Glynda before nodding "Good, please take a seat then you two."

"Hey!" Glynda snapped before falling silent ' _Whatever, it's not like I could change his mind anyways…'_ She shook her head as she moved to Ozpins side, watching the two men sit down across from her.

"Alright, well where should we begin?" Mithgail asked while he reclined back in his chair, resting his arms on the side of it.

"Let's start with your name, what will your squadron go by?" A blue screen materialized in front of the two men. "I assume you have something in mind?"

"Yes, Fenrir." Mithgail nodded, watching as Ozpin typed in the name he was given.

"Any particular reason? It's more than a little ominous, considering this Academy is meant to be a beacon of light and hope." Ozpin frowned, his eyes narrowed as he imagined what weight that name would carry. "I don't want there to be any unneeded blood on Beacon's name. I assume that your name is only meant to scare off potential threats, yes?"

"..." Mithgail hesitated before nodding "Yes. Fenrir is more a branch of our personal beacon of hope at home, I wouldn't want to sully its name. The only thing we will kill is Grimm."

He forced himself to lie, despite Ozpin's request Mithgail could not guarantee the safety of either friend or foe. He would be a fool to try to predict that kind of thing.

"Alright... Fenrir it is." With a bit of hesitation, Ozpin accepted the name and entered it into the system. "Next, you two will act as bodyguards for any events or off property field trips. Your first assignment is to escort Ms. Goodwitch and her class tomorrow while they venture into Forever Fall."

"I can handle it just fine O-"

"Let them do it, this will be their version of the initiation test. If they get through without incident then I know that they're committed to their duty. If they don't, well they'll have to leave. Are those conditions fine with you two?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't matter."

"Good." The screen vanished only to be replaced by a dark green one "Next, I'll have you register your weapons. Do you have them on you?"

"Yes and no." Soma muttered as he lifted his arm "They're in here-"

"Which they shouldn't be."

"Yes. Anyways, we can bring them out if you'd like but you can't touch them."

' _You're being surprisingly cooperative Soma… Shio really is a good influence on you.'_ As Mithgail lost himself in his head, he missed the short but important conversation between Ozpin and Soma. Only the sound of Soma's chair moving pulled him from his thoughts.

"I see, then I will just let you two report them then. As for any other of your duties, I'm sure that you can figure them out yourselves. Yes?"

"Of course, just leave it to us."

"Good, now if you two could follow Ms Goodwitch she will introduce you to her students. They should be settling into your class now, right?" Ozpin turned to Glynda who nodded.

"Yes… Port's class just ended so they are either in my class or on their way there now." Glynda confirmed as she eyed Soma and Mithgail.

"Excuse me, is Shio in her class?"

"Yes, but as I told her earlier, she is exempt from her classes today. Why?"

"No reason, shall we go then?" Turning to Glynda, Mithgail stood up and slid his hands into his pockets. "Want us to say hi to the students first or register our weapons?"

"I'll introduce you first. The forms that you two need to sign are posted on the door just over there, fill them out after your introductions. Deal?"

"Alright, sounds fine to me."

Cutting the conversation short there, Glynda motioned for the boys to follow her out of the office. They both silently left Ozpin's office, leaving the director to flick through the data that he gathered on the two men.

"Hopefully they can do well… I'd rather not go back on my threat of kicking them out." Ozpin's leaned back into his seat and shut the screens down. "Only time can tell, the only problem is that we don't have very much time on our hands."

Ozpin's stood up and walked towards the window behind him, staring at the land beyond the city's borders. ' _When the darkness begins to creep onto the territory of light, the brightest beacon shall crumble.'_ The cold glass pressed against his palm and Ozpin reached for his own reflection. "That is what we were told all those years ago… I was a fool to have dismissed the warning up till now."

Ozpin's turned away from the window before he took his seat once more "All we can do is hope. Hope that our students can defend themselves. Hope our walls stay strong, and hope that these three turn out to be allies instead of enemies."

 _Glynda's class, Beacon._

"Alright, so I'll introduce you two to the class. Do you think you can come up with a quick greeting?"

"We'll handle it, don't worry. Just start." Soma crossed his arms as he leaned into the wall behind Glynda's desk, watching as the students began trickling in.

Both Soma and Mithgail heard the scattered whispers of the students as they saw them behind Glynda. Most were confused while some were a bit more excited.

"Fine. I'm counting on you two… don't mess up." Glynda glared at the two God Eaters before she turned on her heel and walked to the center of the class.

"Class please settle down." Glynda's voice was drowned out by the voices of her students. "Settle down!" She raised her voice, garnering the attention of her students. The class fell silent, all eyes locked on Glynda. "Thank You. Now before we do anything, I'd like to say that I am quite impressed with how the class turned out today. I was expecting over half of you to use this morning's short notice as an excuse to skip." Her eyes locked onto a certain blonde, making her flinch in her seat "With that out of the way, I'd like to introduce some new faces to our class. Professor Ozpin felt that having two people dedicated to the protection of students would help decrease the chance of injury in the forest."

"Don't we have enough protection? I mean we all know how to fight… and we have you teachers with us. Don't you think it's a bit unneeded?"

Glynda shifted her eyes to the left and watched as the heiress of the Schnee name put her arm down. "While I do agree to a point, I can also see his reasoning. The two men behind me are here to protect and eliminate, while us teachers have to both watch and protect you all." Stepping to the side slightly, Glynda motioned for the two men to walk into the center "While we teach you, they will be scouting the area around to stop any Grimm from attacking." She turned her head to Soma and nodded before stepping back.

"Ahem. My name is Soma, and I am the Vice Captain of Fenrir. Please refrain from causing too much trouble tomorrow, stay close to Ms. Goodwitch and follow directions to the T. Anyone who breaks off will be risking their lives." Soma scanned the crowd of students before nodding and stepping back. ' _Come on captain… at least say your name.'_ Soma turned his head to the side and watched Mithgail take a step forward and look around the room.

"..." Mithgail sighed before adopting a wide grin "Hey, I'm Mithgail! The Captain of Fenrir." He raised his arm and waved at the students before falling silent. "Yeah. My VC pretty much covered it all, so all I'm going to add is don't be stupid. Just because you know how to swing a sword or use cool techniques doesn't make you invincible. I lost someone very close to me to the Grimm. He was one of the strongest and smartest men I knew, yet he still died. Make sure to be smart out there and I promise to try my absolute best to bring you all back home."

He stepped back a bit and looked over the students. Most were only giving him half of their attention while others weren't even trying to hide the fact that they were asleep. ' _Hmm… they'd better shape up. I wasted a lot of breath on that speech…'_ He nodded to himself before turning to Soma "We're leaving."

"Why…? I thought you wan-" Glynda cut in, her usual sternness giving way to curiosity.

"They aren't paying attention. Let them run the risk of death tomorrow, we will watch over them but won't interfere." Mithgail shrugged, sending a glance back towards the kids. "We will be at the gates tomorrow morning, meet you there Professor."

As Mithgail walked away, he listened to some of the conversations going on among the students.

" _Them? They don't look too strong-"_

" _I could survive without a babysitter…"_

" _Shh! Be quiet and listen!"_

He felt Glynda's eyes on his back, boring holes into him. ' _May as well push them in the right direction, being nice won't save em.'_

"If I don't say this now, your professor is going to try and kill me." His voice was only heard by a few. With a sigh, Mithgail turned towards the crowd once again. "Hey! I'm not one of your professors, if you push me any further I swear to god I will beat respect into each and every one of you!" Mithgail's voice echoed through the class as he yelled. Sure it was an empty threat, but sometimes empty threats worked better. In response to his yell, the students all directed their attention towards him. "Listen to me. Act tough all you want in here, act carefree and treat everything like a game. I don't care. But if you do, don't come crying to me when your partner is torn to shreds in front of you! You're here to learn how to kill Grimm, not to make friends. Do you understand me?"

"Excuse me? What makes you think that we are treating this like a game? All of us are here because it's our dream to become strong Huntsman and huntresses!" A girl with long white hair slammed her palms down on the table in front of her as she stood up in protest.

"Are you _all_ here for that reason? Can you say that with one hundred and ten percent certainty?"

"Y-"

"The correct, and the only answer is No. You cannot, and you'd be a fool to believe otherwise. Unless you all shape up and go into the forest tomorrow ready to fight for your life, somebody will die. Learning to become strong is impossible, strength is earned not taught."

"But-"

"Sit down. Unless you have a proper response to my argument I won't hear you out." Mithgail turned away from the girl and walked past Soma as the girl sat down. "Professor, like I said earlier. The two of us will meet you by the front gates tomorrow."

The two God Eaters gave Glynda no time to answer as they left through the nearest door. "Ahem, well, that went in a different direction than expected. But he isn't wrong, all of you in here still treat the Grimm as something that isn't meant to be truly feared. Throughout your years here, we will try and change that point of view. The Grimm are always changing and we need to be ready for any outcome." Glynda pressed her glasses up as she strode to the center of the class. "You are all to treat the rest of this period as a training session. Get with your partner to work out strategies and iron out any flaws in your fighting styles as much as possible for tomorrow. You are dismissed."

The students immediately rose to their feet and made their way to the back of the class to leave. ' _I'll have their heads for this… breaking my students already dismal concentration with useless threats.'_

"Ms. Goodwitch!"

Looking at the group of students in front of her, Glynda frowned. "How can I help you Ms. Schnee?"

"I refuse to have a man like that mentor me. He has no idea what we are capable of and he's already judging us, it's too much even for a professional!"

"The Captain has seen his fair share of death and despair, just like any other hunter. While it was a little overboard, he meant well by what he said. Now please-"

"I have to agree with Weiss, Ms. Goodwitch."

"You too Ms Belladonna…?" Glynda sighed as the dark haired stood alongside Weiss. "What about you two?" She turned her head to look at Ruby and Yang.

"I don't know… they seem pretty strong. To be honest, I just want to see what kind of weapons they use. I don't care about much else." Ruby shrugged, offering up a wide grin. "Besides, if they agree to train us that'll be even better!"

"I agree with that, I'd want soma that training too!" Yang cheered, officially dividing the team in two. The not so subtle glares from her partner and Weiss did nothing to make her smile falter. "Hey, its been awhile since I made a pun."

"That isn't a bad thing…" Weiss muttered before she shook her head "No, your horrible puns aren't important. Professor, do you really have that little trust in us? We can handle ourselves."

"..." Glynda scowled, letting a soft sigh escape. "If you get hurt it's on your head. Tomorrow we will be in groups, I'll let you four go off on your own as long as you stay close. If you leave the boundaries for even a second I will personally drag you back to school. Understood?"

""Yes Ma'am!"" All four girls nodded in unison before they turned and made their way out of the class.

"The forest should be relatively safe as long as they don't do anything stupid… I'll watch them myself." Pulling her chair out, Glynda sat down and rested her head in her hands. ' _Something is going to go wrong tomorrow… What was Ozpin thinking? The students won't trust people they literally just met…'_ She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the sense of unease that was steadily washing over her.

 _Courtyard, Beacon._

"Please, Phyrra. I want your help with this."

"I don't mind, but are you certain? I won't go easy on you…" The red haired huntress muttered, she was happy that Jaune came to her for help but… she wasn't sure he could handle it.

"I don't want you to. I won't be the first to say that I'm lacking in… well every department, but I don't want that to be my staple here. Jaune Arc, the leader that couldn't do anything. It just doesn't sound right to me." He bit his tongue as he stared at his partner.

Ren and Nora had already left them alone to go and train themselves. "If you're sure then fine. We'll start now, did you have somewhere specific you wanted to go?"

Jaune stayed silent for a few long minutes before he nodded. "The dorms rooftop, it's always empty so we can train freely up there."

With a bit if hesitation, Pyrrha nodded and the two of them made their way towards the dorm.

 _Dormitory Rooftop, five minutes later._

"Alright, we will start with your stance." Pyrrha said as she motioned for Jaune to draw his sword. Both of them had stopped to pick up their equipment and change on the way to the roof.

"Sure." With a confident nod, Jaune unsheathed his sword before dropping into the stance he usually took.

"Alright. First things first, you have no support like that." Pyrrha moved to Jaune's side as she gave him a light push. "Move your back leg a bit so that it is parallel to your front, and try to keep them shoulder width apart." Silently, Jaune followed her instructions to the letter and continued holding his sword in front of him. "Good, now when you're like this any blow from the front or your sides can be directed to the back leg. Make sure to keep it as straight as possible without locking it, too much will break it and too little with do nothing to keep you steady."

"Okay… will this really help me?" Jaune asked as he straightened his back leg a bit more.

"Yes, but like everything, you will need to get used to it and work with it to make sure that it does what it's meant to." Stepping back, Pyrrha pulled a silver shortsword. "Now, while maintaining that stance I want you to try and parry my attacks." She gave Jaune little time to prepare before she struck.

Her short sword crashed down on his own making his arms quake under the weight. "H-Hold on!" Turning his sword to the right, he blocked a slash that was aimed for his bicep. He stepped back to generate some breathing room between him and Pyrrha. "Don't just att-!" Ducking his head Jaune felt the wind rush against his scalp as Pyrrha's shortsword soared through the air where his head once was.

"Pay attention, and fix your stance!" Pyrrha's raised voice made Jaune jump and immediately get back into his stance before fixing his eyes on her. ' _I'm such an idiot, I asked her to help me and her I am telling her to wait? I can't do that… the Grimm won't wait for me to be ready. Cardin won't wait either. I need to face the threats as they appear…'_ He grit his teeth before taking a step towards Pyrrha, swinging his sword to the side to knock her blade away. ' _I have to go on the offensive to survive! I don't have the endurance to defend forever, I need to win as quick as possible!'_

Narrowing his eyes, Jaune gripped the handle of his sword before swiping at Pyrrha. Her armor reflected the glare of the blade as it nearly scratched her. She jumped back and pulled out the second half of her weapon, a bronze shield that matched her armor. "Not one for parrying are you?" She asked as she held her shield up in front of her chest. "That's fine, we'll skip that and move on to the next lesson. Strategy!"

The redhead moved forward and met the oncoming slash with her shield before knocking it away. "Hiiya!" With a short grunt, Pyrrha spun on the spot and kicked Jaune in the ribs knocking him off balance. "When an opponent is guarding, try to find an opening. If you can't, then make one!" She moved to Jaune's side and swept his legs off the ground before dropping to her knees and pressing the point of her short sword against his chest.

"Ugh!" Jaune grunted in pain as he felt his back hit the cold roof. The glint of the blade against his chest made his blood freeze. ' _I'd have died. Without even hitting her, I would have lost and been killed.'_

"You got too focused on trying to hit me and took your mind of guarding against my attacks. Your opponents won't always have a single attack, they can use anything to hurt you. Don't forget that okay?"

"I won't forget it, I promise." Jaune muttered as he rested his head on the ground.

Staring down at Jaune, Pyrrha unconvinced with Jaune's words, pressed the tip of her short sword into his armor and carved a small ' _P'_ into it. "There, now whenever you put your armor on you'll remember this lesson."

Jaune stared silently at the red head above him, how was he supposed to feel about that? "I… Thank you Pyrrha. Really." Opting for a genuine show of gratitude, Jaune pushed himself out from under Pyrrha. "Hey, I- Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"...?" Confused, Pyrrha shook her head and smiled through her confusion. "Not at all, go ahead."

"What do you think I should do about Cardin? I know I spoke really tough last time he confronted me but-"

"Just be you."

"Huh…?"

"Listen, this is going to sound harsh but you need to hear it because you know it's true." Standing up, Pyrrha held her hand out and pulled Jaune to his feet. "He picks on you because he thinks you're weak, he doesn't feel like you deserve to be here. When you said what you did about wanting to help him back in Ms. Goodwitch's class, Ren, Nora and I knew that it wasn't true."

"What? Don't be silly of course, it's true." Jaune protested, laughing it off.

"How can you save him, when you're still angry with him? If you try to fight him with the mentality of _fixing_ him or breaking him free of some invisible chain then you'll only make things worse. I'm sure he has his own twisted reasons for why he's like this, it'd be best to let him grow up by himself."

"Are you siding with him…? I thought you had my back with this." His laughter stopped, a heavy weight settling in his chest.

"No, but I'm not siding with this you either." Pyrrha sheathed her short sword and crossed her arms, leveling her eyes with Jaune's. "You're not a hero, don't try to act like one. Instead, act like a leader. Show Cardin that you won't break under his pressure, that in itself will throw him off his game."

"..." Jaune grit his teeth, silently battling all the emotions coursing through him. ' _I try to act like a hero, I try to put on a tough and caring front and this is where it got me? Nice going Jaune…'_ He shook his head before forcing an uneasy smile "How- How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because, you have a natural ability of making people follow you. You were born to be a leader, not a hero, and in some cases the world needs one good leader over a thousand wonderful heroes." Stepping towards Jaune, Pyrrha felt herself starting to reach out for him only to catch herself.

"Leaders don't… lie." His voice felt foreign in his own throat, it was quiet and void of any of his usual awkward cheer. "They don't break the law to try and get somewhere they don't belong. The reason it hurts so much when Cardin says I don't belong here and that I'm wasting everyone's time is because it's true."

"No Jaune, it isn't. This school only accepts those that prove themselves and you're here, so you obviously deserve to be. Do-"

"I forged the admission papers Pyrrha! All my marks and accomplishments, it's all lies! I'm here resting on the laurels of my family name yet I couldn't be less of an Arc." Turning away from Pyrrha, Jaune started for the door that the two of them had entered from. "You deserve a better partner and leader than I am. Sorry that I'm not the courageous guy from class the other day, but you said it right? This school only accepts the ones that prove themselves. That's something I've never done."

"Jaune! Hold on!" Pyrrha followed her partner to the door of the roof, calling out to him but he didn't stop. He'd said what he needed to, and felt that a goodbye would only make himself feel worse. The heavy door slammed behind him as he vanished from her sight. "Damn it… I really screwed that up." Let her eyes fall from the door to the ground she stared at the unmoving rooftop, losing herself in thought. Glancing to the side, she saw the glint of sunlight off a blade and spotted Crocea Mors laying on the ground. ' _He left it behind…'_ She made her way over to it and picked it up, frowning slightly. ' _I'll give it to him tomorrow. I can tell that he needs time to himself right now.'_ Swinging the sword in her hand, she leans against the door and stairs up at the sky more than a little upset with herself.

As Pyrrha stared up at the sky, Jaune rushed down the narrow stairwell, staring into the dark abyss far beneath him.

His breath was heavy and frantic as he all but ran down the staircases, the sound of his boots beating against the metal stairs echoing throughout the area. "Damn! I'm such an asshole! I just dumped all that on her and left…" He shook his head and closed his eyes to try and collect his thoughts. ' _First, apologize. Second- I'll figure that out when I get there.'_ He extended his arm to push open the door leading out to the courtyard.

As the sun rushed into the dark stairwell, it temporarily blinded him, hiding the figure in front of him. "Jaune-y boy! How are you my dear old friend?"

The voice sent shivers up his spine, Jaune froze on the spot and squinted through the sunlight. "Cardin…?"

"The one and only! Now, why don't you come along with me? We have some _issues_ that need to be dealt with, if you know what I mean?" Cardin grinned as he hooked his arm around Jaune's shoulders.

"You know…?" Jaune felt his world come crashing down on his head. His vision spun and his blood ran cold. Cardin knew about his lie, about his fraud to get into Beacon.

"Every. Last. Detail." Cardin whispered seriously, before smiling "This isn't the place to talk about that though, let's head back to my dorm hey _pal?_ "

"Y-Yeah… lead the way, Cardin…"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and as always feel free to PM me if you have any concerns. I'll respond as soon as I can.**


	7. Forever Fall Pt2

_**Finally finished this chapter. I've been working on it since May, then got busy as shit then forgot about it completely. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.**_

* * *

Jaune was seated in a small, not uncomfortable, black chair in the corner of Cardin's dorm. Across from him was Cardin himself, having led the other teen down from the rooftop.

"So, you know that _I_ know _everything_." Cardin began, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "That'll make this easier for me."

"Just tell me what you want…" Jaune demanded, keeping his voice set in as neutral a tone as possible. "I don't need any trouble so please just be upfront with me."

"... Fine." Cardin nodded, pushing himself off the bed so he was standing in front of Jaune. "You're helping me and my boys during tomorrow's trip."

"Why? Can't you get the sap yourself?"

"Of course we can!"

Jaune flinched as Cardin yelled, sure he may be able to stand up a bit but he was still skittish. "Yeah, of course, you can. I was being stupid sorry." He dropped his head and stared at the ground.

"I really can't get a read on you. It's like there's a switch inside you that's stuck between badass and coward. Pick one and act like it, don't be so two-faced, it pisses me off." Cardin grumbled as he made his way over to the window before he stared down at the students. "Just help us. If you do that then I'll forget about everything you said."

After taking a moment to digest Cardin's words, Jaune stood up. "If I don't?"

"Do you really wanna find out, Arc?" Cardin threatened, staring at Jaune's reflection in the mirror.

"Fine. I'll do it." Turning away from the other teen, Jaune made for the door. ' _As much as I hate the thought of working with him, this will be my best chance to help break him free of whatever is chaining him down. Well, that and the fact that I don't want the truth to get out.'_

"Hey, wait a minute!" Cardin called out, breaking Jaune from his thoughts. "I hope you're not planning some form of revenge. If you are, know that I'll make sure your forged papers are the least of your worries."

"Don't worry, I'm not," Jaune whispered before leaving the room.

Now alone, Cardin pressed his forehead against the cold glass of the window. "How long can I keep this up? Dove and them need somebody to direct them or else they're done for, but at this rate, I'll burn out." Pushing off the window, Cardin moved back towards his bed and flopped down. "I can't play the tough older brother forever… The three of them need to learn to stand on their own."

The light of his room vanished as he closed his eyes, covering his face with his arm. ' _I don't want to throw them to the dogs, but I don't know if anything I do will matter anymore.'_

 ** _School Hallway, Beacon._**

"Weiss ran off to do rich person stuff and Blake and Yang disappeared. Man, it feels like the first day all over again…" Ruby grumbled as she dragged her feet along the ground. Not five minutes after their half-day ended and she was alone. "Maybe I should try and find Shio. It sounded like something was going on with her and Professor Port earlier."

The halls were nearly deserted due to the average student still being in class. "I almost want to go back to class, at least I wouldn't be bored there. I'd be asleep. Guess I'll just go back to the dorm for now…"

True to her words, Ruby began following the long hallways until she found herself outside the school building. Continuing her walk, she let her feet follow what was now a routine path back into the student building and down towards her team's room. "Home sweet- huh?" Ruby stopped dead in her tracks, watching the familiar blonde leave the room of his number one enemy. ' _Jaune…? What were you doing in Cardin's room?'_ She thought to herself while she hid behind the corner at the end of the hall. Staying silent, she watched Jaune close the door and slowly return to his own room.

' _Was he being bullied? Maybe I sho-'_

"Miss Ruby!"

"Ahh!" Ruby yelped, her body jumping in response to the shock of being caught. "Not staring or peeping! Just going back to my room haha…" She laughed nervously as she moved away from the wall and began to move forward "Wait, Miss Ruby? Shio?" She asked as she spun around and locked eyes with the white-haired girl who was behind her.

"Hiya! Did I scare you?"

"Y-Yeah. I didn't expect anyone to be behind me… anyways why weren't you in class today? I know we had a half day but that doesn't make it right to skip" Ruby asked, scowling slightly.

"Skip? Mr. Ozpin gave me the day off, I didn't skip." Shio answered, tilting her head slightly "Why would I skip 's class anyway, she's fun!"

"Fun…? She's more scary than fun don't you think?" Ruby asked, replacing her scowl with a confused smile. "Professor Goodwitch aside, why did the headmaster give you the day off?"

"Why? Because my family is here, and we haven't seen each other in a while." Shio shrugged ' _Kinda'_

"Your family? They're here?" Ruby questioned, the redhead perking up immediately. "You gotta introduce me! I wanna see where come from!"

"Who I... come from?" Shio repeated, looking away. "Well, I guess I don't mind if we can find 'em."

"Awesome!" Ruby cheered, making Shio giggle lightly.

"You really are fun to be around, you know?"

Ruby glanced down at Shio as the young girl spoke, a confused look crossing her once excited features. "Say, I don't mean to be nosey or anything but…"

"Hmm? What is it?" Shio asked, tilting her head to the side a bit as she looked up at the teen,

"You always seem to act differently every time I see you. When we first met you were super excited, then you were serious and stuff. Now you're acting all mature. Why is that?"

"..." Shio remained silent. The answer was easy, it was because she herself wasn't human and originally had no ' _personality'_ however, now that she was constantly associating with humans that didn't know of her otherworldliness she had to adopt multiple personalities until she developed her own. ' _I can't tell Ruby that though… she wouldn't understand.'_ Sighing slightly, Shio reached forward and grabbed the redhead's hand. "I don't know what you're talking about! Come on, let go find them okay?"

"Ah, but Shio!" Ruby protested as she felt the young girl tug her down the hallway, leading her somewhere outside.

"No waiting! The two of them tend to move a lot so if we're gonna find em we have to keep moving too!" Shio yelled, keeping her eyes in front of her ' _Sorry Ruby, you're not going to meet them yet. I want all of my friends to be introduced together, by me.'_ As Shio led Ruby outside, she looked for an obvious place to look that would keep Ruby busy for a while. ' _wanted to meet them at five? I have to keep her busy until then.'_ Turning her head, she glanced up at the giant clock overhead and froze.

"Shio…? What's wrong?" Ruby asked, standing behind her friend.

"I uhm… can't tell time."

"You can't tell time? Like you can't read the clock?"

"Nope." Shio shook her head, making Ruby laugh to herself. "Hey! Don't laugh, where I'm from we didn't have clocks like that!"

"Huh? But... all clocks are like that. Well, except the digital ones. What were your clocks like?"

"They were counting down, I think Soma called it a timer. The last time I saw it, the whole fa- academy was in a panic." Shio corrected herself, almost giving Ruby something else to ask questions about.

"A countdown timer? That's not a clock." Ruby declared, crossing her arms. "I wonder what your Academy was counting down."

"Ahh, it doesn't matter! Can you tell me what time it is right now then?"

"Sure, it's about 1:10. Lunch is twenty minutes from now." Ruby said as she read the hands on the clock.

"Thanks! Well, then why don't we go wait in the cafeteria? I'm sure they will need food and Mr. Ozpin told them that they should help themselves to our cafeteria food so we should see them there."

"That's fine, I was getting hungry myself anyways." Ruby nodded before she raised her hand, motioning for Shio to follow her down the hall. "We'll go through here, it'll get us there quicker."

The two girls made their way down the hallway before exiting the main building. Just as Ruby had said, the cafeteria was right in front of them. Talking about nothing truly important, Shio and Ruby crossed the courtyard while keeping an eye out for the rest of team RWBY.

"So, Shio." Ruby began, holding the door open for the younger girl to walk inside. "Any news of you getting a team yet? It's been a couple of days and the trip is tomorrow, have you heard anything?"

"Mm-Mm, not yet. I don't even have a dorm." Stepping past her friend, Shio looked around the cafeteria. "So this is where everybody has lunch, hey?"

With a slight frown, Ruby followed Shio inside. "Uh, yeah." Answering the question, Ruby led the other girl to a table near the back of the cafeteria. "You know, you can hang with my team tomorrow if you want. We really won't mind, it'll be fun to have you around." She sat down resting her arms on the lunch table as she spoke to Shio.

"I don't know… Ms. Yang and Blake still seem upset with me." Shio sighed, sitting across from her friend with a troubled expression. "I know that you cleared it up but it still seems like I'm in trouble."

"Shio, why would they be mad at you? You've done nothing wrong." Ruby asked, sitting up straight. "Nothing I know of at least…"

"Well, I think I was a bit too flashy in my fight with Ms. Blake. I did something to her… shadow clone?" Shio questioned, getting a nod from Ruby "It was after that, I noticed that they were very distant."

"You're reading too much into it. Maybe Blake is just a sore loser."

"She doesn't really seem like the type, Ms. Ruby."

"Just Ruby. I'm not that much older than you." Ruby interjected, offering up a kind smile for the younger girl.

"I think she's more suspicious than upset about losing," Shio remarked after nodding, silently agreeing to drop the honorific when addressing Ruby.

"Suspicious? What of?"

"Erm…" Shio bit her cheek. ' _I shouldn't have said that. I forgot that nobody besides the teachers know…'_ Looking away, Shio shrugged and forced a smile "Dunno. Maybe she's suspicious of how I won? Thinks I might have cheated?"

"I doubt that. From what I know about Blake she would've figured that out during your spar with her."

"What do you know about her…? I thought you two barely knew each other," Shio asked, thankful that she had an opportunity to change the topic of their conversation.

"Uhh… she's quiet. She likes books, doesn't get along with Weiss too much…"

"Mhmm."Shio nodded, leaning forward a bit as she listened.

"She fights with a sword… she's really strategic when she wants to be. She loves fish and has a great sense of direction too. She managed to get through most of the forest before she found Yang during the initiation test."

"So you know how she fights, that about it right?"

"Well, yeah. I guess that's it really…" Ruby nodded, sinking a bit in her seat. "I guess I really don't know too much about her."

"It's okay, nobody really does."

A silence fell over the table as Shio and Ruby struggled to revive the conversation.

"Ahem… so that's Blake, but what about my sister?" Ruby asked curiously, sitting up straight once more while casting an impatient glance up towards the clock.

"Ms. Yang? Hmm, I'm not sure. I think it's what you people call animal instinct?"

"Us people…?"

Biting her cheek, Shio smiled "Yeah, back home it's just called an intuition but it seems you guys call it differently here."

"Ohh, I didn't know that~" Ruby nodded in amusement, crossing her arms. "Wait, did you just call my sister an animal?"

"I don't know, did I?" Shio shrugged, tilting her head slightly as she maintained her smile.

"You totally did!" Ruby exclaimed, all but jumping out of her seat.

"When did I do that? I said she just followed her animal instinct." Shio defended, a mock frown replacing her smile. "I don't think you should be putting words in my mouth Ruby."

"Putti- You're playing with me."

"Yes, I am." Shio nodded with an unnecessary seriousness. "I felt like we needed some fun."

"Oh~ I'll show you fun! Get over here!" Ruby yelled as she left her side of the bench and moved towards Shio. Reaching out she intended to trap her in a bear hug only to fall forward onto the bench.

Having slid under the table Shio crawled out and stood up. "Nope!" Sticking her tongue out, Shio spun on her heel and made for the cafeteria door while Ruby pushed herself off the bench.

"Hey! Don't just run!" Ruby called out, running after the younger girl. As much as Ruby wanted to have Shio talk more about her worries, she was perfectly fine with this. ' _She's younger than I am, she should be having fun not worrying about her appearance like I was.'_ With her mindset, Ruby followed the white-haired girl out into the open.

"You're super slow Ruby!" Shio called out teasingly from up ahead, glancing back at Ruby from over her shoulder.

' _I'll show you slow!'_ Breathing in, Ruby let herself go and let her semblance take over. She cruised against the wind as she neared Shio at inhuman speeds. "Am I slow now…?" Ruby asked as she reached out to grab Shio.

"Slow-ish." Shio giggled, sidestepping her friend's hand. "Faster than me though!"

"If I'm faster than you how can you call me slow?!" Ruby yelled, pushing her surprise to the back of her mind.

"Because I can." Replied Shio, her words while playful were stubborn.

"That's not fair."

"Who said I was fair, Ruby?"

"!"

The two girls' little spat continued on for a few moments before being stopped by a familiar voice.

"Finally acting your age, Ruby? I'm impressed."

"Weiss?!" Spinning on her heel, Ruby glanced up at none other than her partner and teammate. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm heading to get food, shouldn't that be obvious?" Weiss asked as if the question was pointless.

"Ah, yeah that makes sense." Ruby nodded

"Uh-huh…" Weiss should her head before glancing down at Shio "Don't grow up like her. She's annoying and loud."

"Hey! You're no better!" Ruby snapped as she clenched her fists, staring up at Weiss.

"See?"

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here! Shio, help me out here!" Ruby turned towards Shio, holding her fists up in front of her.

' _What great partners.'_ Shio thought to herself as she watched Weiss and Ruby's argument heat up. Despite barely knowing them, she could tell that they were the only ones able to bring this side out of one another so easily. "Ruby, hold on."

"Huh? What's up Shio?" Ruby asked, quieting down and backing away from Weiss.

"You know she really cares about you, right?"

"Weiss? No way! The princess couldn't care less about me!" Ruby snorted, shaking her head in denial.

"Look at her, would she be blushing like that if she hated you?"

Following Shio's outstretched finger, Ruby looked up at Weiss and sure enough, her usual porcelain white cheeks were flushed with a bright pink.

"I do not care about her!" Weiss snapped, turning to glare at Ruby who was trying her hardest not to laugh. "I don't! And I'm not blushing!"

"You totally are! Your cheeks are as bright as my cloak!" Ruby burst out with laughter, pointing up at the blushing heiress.

"...!" Gritting her teeth Weiss opened her mouth to deny it further only to feel Ruby latch onto to her. "H-Hey! Hands off!"

"Come on and give me a big hug bestie! We all know you want to now!" Ruby proclaimed as she tried to wrap her arms around Weiss only to be stopped by said girl's hands.

"Back! Off!" Pushing against her face and shoulders Weiss fought off Ruby's attempted display of affection.

"Come on you know you love me!"

"I do not!" Weiss shouted as her cheeks lit up, even more, earning a giggle from Shio. "Don't laugh! This is your fault!"

"Is it?" Shio asked as she carelessly turned towards the cafeteria and started walking back. "Come on, I'm hungry," Shio called out as she walked ahead of the other two.

Weiss finally got a chance to breathe as Ruby backed off and began following Shio. "Coming!" She called back as she motioned for Weiss to follow.

"I'm getting no rest with these two together am I?" The heiress sighed, hanging her head as she slowly followed after Ruby and Shio. ' _I can't deny that I'm hungry anyway_.' The heiress shrugged as she prepared herself for whatever hell she was walking into.

* * *

 ** _A Resonance Between Worlds._**

* * *

 ** _Streets of Vale._**

' _She wasn't home…'_ Qrow thought to himself as he wandered down the busy streets of Vale, keeping an eye out for his estranged sister. ' _She could be anywhere. Why can't she just stay at home?'_ Squeezing through group after group of civilians he let out a sigh of irritation before turning and pushing open a door. "I'll get a drink, get my bearings." Walking into the dimly lit pub, he strolled up to the bar and took a seat.

"Welcome, how can I help you?" Asked an exhausted bartender who was glancing down the table from the other side of the bar. "Drink or information?"

"Both would be wonderful, but just a beer for now." Muttered Qrow as he leaned forward with his elbows on the bar. "Nothing too strong gotta be alert." With a short nod from the server, Qrow slid his hand down to his side gripping it firmly. ' _All healed up, thank God. If Raven wanted to get violent; with my injury I'd stand no chance.'_

"Is this fine, Sir?" A coaster was set down in front of Qrow followed by a bottle of beer. "You said nothing strong after all."

"It's fine, thanks." Qrow grabbed the beer, bringing the bottle up to his mouth and taking a sip. ' _I've gotta track down Raven, and make sure nobody else decides to try and take me out like the ones back on the road'_ He thought to himself as she stared at the dark oak table. ' _They were definitely connected to Salem there is no doubt about that, I probably should've told Oz earlier but he seemed stressed enough already.'_

"Welcome, how can I help you?"

Ignoring the cut and paste response of the bartender, Qrow continued to rack his brain trying to figure out what exactly should be done after he finds Raven. "Maybe I'll tell the two guys that Shio knows, if something bad happens then we know they're bad. If not, well then we've got ourselves some new allies."

"Shio has friends?"

Setting his bottle down with a light click, Qrow peered over his shoulder at the woman standing beside him. "Raven. I found you, finally."

"I found you actually." Raven corrected, taking the seat next to Qrow.

"We're twins so I can argue that I found you." Qrows shrugged turning his head to look at his sister.

"Whatever. You heard I wanted to talk to you?"

"Of course I did, I wouldn't be awake right now otherwise." Leaning back a bit Qrow sighed "Why'd you hit Shio?"

"She was asking for it," Raven replied curtly, almost as if the question was expected. "I warned her to stop, and she didn't."

"I knew you had a temper… but to hit a kid? How far the noble have fallen." Qrow teased, watching as his sister flinched a bit.

"If it means anything, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on her."

"I'm not the one to apologize to." Qrow shook his head as he stood up. Reaching into his pocket, he fished around for a few lien and left them on the table. "Walk with me, Sis." Waving to the bartender he left the table fully aware that Raven was close behind. He knew she wasn't there to drink, she wanted answers like always.

Leading Raven out into the streets, Qrow walked in silence for a bit leading Raven towards the outskirts of the city. The siblings came to a stop behind what looked like an abandoned brick warehouse. "You've always been one for dark places Qrow." Raven quipped, leaning against the cool wall.

"That's rich coming from you." Qrow snorted, crossing his arms as he walked a bit further into the alley "I may like them, but at least I serve their opposite."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Raven snapped, pushing off the wall.

"..." Opting for silence, Qrow just shook his head. ' _As quick to anger as ever, when was the last time we had a real conversation?'_

"Don't ignore me, Qrow. What was that supposed to mean?" Raven repeated glaring at her brother.

"Ha… it meant that you're turning into Dad."

"Turning into…? I'm nothing like him!"

"Then calm down, Dad is the one that can't take criticism." Glancing down at his sister's hip, he made a small gesture "He's also the one that goes on a murder spree whenever he's angry." Raven's hand left the hilt of her sword with a jolt, it seemed as if she wasn't aware she was grabbing it.

"Don't try analyzing me. So what if I have a few qualities of our father? I'm not him." Raven shrugged, turning her back to Qrow.

"Analyze? I'm just pointing out the obvious, Sis." Shaking his head, Qrow reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bag.

"What are those…?" Raven asked, her eyes shifting downwards to the small packet in her brother's hand.

"You tell me, they fell out of _your_ pocket back inside." Qrow shrugged tossing the bag to his sister "They're pills of some kind for sure."

"..." Grabbing the pills Raven looked down at them in her hand. "These aren't mine, I don't know what they are."

"Not yours? So you do take some kind of medication." Qrow mused tapping his foot against the ground. "I'm going to guess Father _prescribed_ them to you?"

Mentally kicking herself Raven tossed the bag away before letting out a huff "So Shio, she's not normal."

"We're not talking about the kid, we're talking about you taking medication," Qrow said as he watched Raven out of the corner of his eye as she wandered deeper into the alley.

"She doesn't seem to have a personality." Raven mused before shaking her head "No- it's more like she has more than one personality fighting for dominance inside of he-"

"Raven!" Qrow barked walking up to his sister "Stop avoiding the subject. Why are you taking medication? Are you that weak?"

"..."

"Ever since I left home you've been different. You've grown so harsh and angry, is it because of the pills? Are they making you like this?"

"No, they're stopping me from being like that…"

"I call bullshit on that. You were pissed with Shio the other day."

"I hadn't taken them yet that's why." Raven turned to face Qrow, her eyes stone cold. "Listen, why don't you just stop. You left our clan- our family- long ago, with that you forfeited the right to give a damn about me."

"You're my sister, no matter what you do I'll care," Qrow growled as his blood boiled. "Why must you be so stubborn? Just talk to me. You know damn well that I left our clan because I _knew_ what they were doing was wrong. I never left _you."_

"Maybe another time." Relenting, Raven let out a sigh. "For now I'll talk about what I need to. Originally, I had intended to extend a final chance of repentance for betraying our family."

"Shio said something about that…" Qrow sighed, not happy with how Raven dropped their previous conversation. "Well, I'll save you the trouble and reject it right now. I refuse to live under the thumb of our tyrannical, blood-thirsty fool we call our father."

"That's what I thought…" Raven frowned, her hand returning to the sword by her hip. "That forces my hand. Unlike that blood-thirsty fool you spoke of I'm not too fond of infinite chances just because we have the same blood in our veins." Pulling the sword from its sheath she leveled it with Qrow. "You know as well as I what the penalty for traitors is."

' _I'd lose for sure in this state… I need more time for this wound to heal…'_ Gritting his teeth, Qrow shook his head. "What would Yang think? Her uncle being killed in cold blood by her mother…"

"Don't bring her into your execution."

"What about your anger issues? How can we finish our talk if I'm dead?"

"That's the point." Raven snapped taking a cautious step towards her brother.

"Ahh~ Poor Shio… she'll be living all alone in my home." Qrow frowned reaching into his pocket to pull out his flask. "Permit me one last sip before my untimely death?"

"What are you planning? You won't even draw your weapon?" Raven questioned, narrowing her eyes. "It seems you truly have grown into a pathetic man. Have your drink."

"No… let's share." Flipping the cap off the silver flask Qrow stepped towards Raven and swung his arm in front of her face. The liquor that was once housed inside the flask spilled out, splashing into Raven's eyes.

"Gah…! Bastard!" Squeezing her eyes shut Raven swore as she lashed out with her sword blindly. She felt the blade meet bone, heard the blood splash against the stone below her feet, yet she could not see what had become of Qrow. Using her free hand, Raven hastily rubbed her sleeve against her eyes to clear them up.

Once her sight had returned she found nothing in front of or behind her. All the remained of Qrow was a splatter of blood against the bars outer wall and the fabric of his clothes on her sword. "Damn it! Get back here, Coward! Stop hiding!" Raven roared from her position as her bloodshot eyes darted around her. Picking up on a small trail of blood leading into a nearby alley Raven prepared to follow only to hear the sounds of voices from the streets behind her. "Tch… I'll drop it for today. No need to draw much more attention to myself." Swinging the blood off her silver blade she returned it to its sheath before sinking into the shadows out of sight.

 ** _Skies above Vale_**

' _A-Am I ever going to get a chance to heal? Damn it, Raven…'_ Qrow thought to himself as he shakily flapped his black wings to keep his injured body airborne. Qrow's mind went silent as he went over the events of their interaction before closing his eyes ' _You were always short-tempered but never were you so hostile. Traitor or not, I will get back the Raven I know. That is only your shell Sis… somebody else is in control.'_ Reverting to his human form near the roof of a building he'd hoped was his destination, Qrow felt gravity take control as he hit the concrete roof with a thud rolling to the center of the roof on his side before coming to a painful stop on his stomach.

Gritting his teeth, Qrow gripped the roof as he pushed himself up despite the screams of protest from his side and leg. "She got me good…" Wincing as he balanced himself Qrow looked down at the deep gash on his calf. "Is that…" Squinting he leaned his head down a bit before scowling "Yup… that's bone. Definitely bone…" Tearing his eyes from his calf, he reached into his back pocket and eased out his scroll dialing a familiar number.

The scroll rang for a few seconds before he heard it pick up " _Hello? How can I help you, Qrow?"_

"Hey, Goodwitch. Is Oz there?" Qrow asked as he kept his weight shifted onto his good leg.

" _If he was, I wouldn't have answered_." Good point. Qrow nodded in thought before she continued " _How can I help you?"_

"Well… I wanted to give Ozpin an update on Raven. Can you tell him that I'll be there sometime after your trip tomorrow?" Qrow asked as he quietly limped to the iron doors on the roof, pushing down on one of the buttons next to it.

" _As you wish. Be here at Six, alright?"_

Glancing down, Qrow grimaced "Yeah, I should be able to make that. Talk to you the-" Confirmation was all she needed, Glynda hanging up as she cut Qrow's farewell short. "Bitch…" Grumbling to himself he tucked his scroll away and wandered into the now open door. ' _Let's see… The emergency room is floor one.'_ Hitting the corresponding button, a ding sounded out as he leaned against the wall behind him. The iron doors slid together with a low shriek before the ground began moving.

"Ngh… I think she may have chipped the bone. If it wasn't for my aura I'd probably have lost the leg, as well as be in a hell of a lot more pain. The fact I can hold a conversation is a miracle." Qrow spoke to himself to keep his mind off the leg. "My side took a beating from her hilt after the swing. I'd tried so hard to keep it uninjured… that went splendidly." The numbered slowly counted down before they stopped on the main floor, the iron doors screeching open as he wandered out using the wall beside him to hold himself up.

A nurse dropped a tray, spilling what Qrow assumed was a patient's piss before calling for a doctor. ' _It's really hard to hate these people… they literally drop everything to help you.'_ Smiling slightly Qrow watched through slanted eyes as a doctor rushed into the hall from his office before yelling a few orders. Ignoring the splashing of his blood on the clear white tile, he slid down the wall and outstretched his injured leg. ' _These were ruined anyway… a bit of blood on em ain't gonna change a thing.'_ Trying to relax, Qrow couldn't help but feel himself getting hotter and hotter as time passed. The doctor was now in front of him trying to pull him up off the ground with the help of another man. ' _She coated her sword in poison… clever.'_

First, his hearing went, followed by his feeling. Numb and deaf, Qrow watched as the lights and faces of those next to him grew steadily more blurry before they vanished altogether.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"I told you not to use it that much, it's not good for you."

"What do you expect me to do then? Fight with my bare hands? If people weren't suspicious already they would be then."

"Fair point…"

Biting the side of his bottom lip, Soma leaned back into the grass staring up at the blue sky above. His Captain lay beside him gripping his right arm with fervor. The red armlet managed to cover the black veins tracing up his forearm, but it failed to numb the pain. "God this hurts… Licca is gonna kill me when she sees how far I've let this go on…"

"You're worried about Licca? I'd be more worried about Alisa…" Soma grumbled as he tilted his head sideways to glance at his Captain. "You know she-"

"We're soldiers, Soma." Mithgail cut in, no trace of his usual jovialness.

"We're also teenagers… in fact, you and her are barely out of your Tweens." Soma retorted, lifting himself up off his grassy blanket.

"..."

"Haa, why are you so obedient regarding this of all topics?"

"Because I don't want to hurt her any more than I have."

"Hurt her? What are you talking about?"

"With Lindow." Mithgail paused before releasing his arm. "I had every opportunity to fend off that… thing but I didn't. I froze up."

"So did Sakuya and I. You think you're the only one that gets scared?"

"I wasn't scared."

"Fine, unsettled. Whatever the hell you want to call-"

"Soma, I wanted Lindow to fail. A part of me was rooting for that Aragami to tear him to shreds… a part that has become far more present in these past few days."

Soma's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking at the revelation. "Tell me you're lying."

"I refuse to lie to you, Soma. I haven't up to this point, so why start now?"

"You're telling me that you _let_ him die?!" The usual monotone Soma erupted, conflicting feelings of anger and pity warring in his already shattered mind.

With a heavy breath, Mithgail nodded his head solemnly. "Yes. I did."

The leather of Soma's glove stretched and contracted as he balled his hand into a fist. Gritting his teeth to the point of pain, he simply shook his head and stood up. "Ever since we got here… you've been deteriorating. Your personality has been slowly but surely taking a one-eighty turn."

Mithgail bit his tongue to keep himself silent, sending a sidelong glance to his partner.

"This isn't you." Those were Soma's last words before he turned away from his Captain and started the trek back towards the school.

A heavy silence fell upon Mithgails shoulders, the wind whispering Soma's unspoken words.

" _And I won't acknowledge you as my Captain any longer."_

Swallowing the ball in his throat, Mithgail stood up and turned to watch Soma walk away from him. "I'll get rid of this… somehow. I'll repent Soma, I promise you that." Knowing Soma didn't hear him Mithgail scowled before lifting his suddenly heavy feet to follow the path back to Beacon, making a point to keep his distance from his partner.

 ** _Beacon Campus, Beacon._**

"Asshole," Soma muttered to himself as he stormed across the cobblestone bridge, glaring at no one in particular. "I know it's not really his fault… but it still pisses me the hell off!" Shouting out, he was dragged from his musings as a group of girls let out a united squeal in response to his outburst. ' _Great, now the students think I'm insane…'_

Soma knew that Mithgail was following far behind but he made no move to give any indication to such knowledge. Making his way off the bridge and towards the academy itself, Soma felt a pair of unfamiliar eyes on him. Perking up he glanced around and found the culprit hiding behind what appeared to be a used newspaper by the door to the library.

"If you're going to spy on me at least do a half decent job, this is insulting." Sparing his Captain a glance back on the bridge, he frowned and altered his course for the library. He crossed the distance with only a few irritated strides, coming to a harsh stop only a few feet away from the suspect.

"..." The paper crinkled as they shrunk behind it, their grip tightening in a futile attempt to keep themselves hidden from Soma.

"Lower the paper."

"..."

Soma's brow twitched as they completely ignored him. "I said lower the paper, I know you're spying on me."

Again, the person made no move to obey. As if in an act of defiance, they pulled the paper closer to their face.

"Goddamnit, give me that!" Soma snapped, lashing out and tearing the black and white paper from the students' hands. "You…? What do you want from me?" Before him stood Yang, though he only knew her because she was half awake during Mithgail and his introductions.

"T-That's how you're doing this?!" Yang's heart thundered in her chest. "You scared the crap outta me!"

"I wouldn't have had to do that if you listened to me the first time instead of playing the fool," Soma said coolly, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the blonde student.

"Geez… you are just a bucket of sunshine right now aren't you?"

"I'd be friendlier if some student wasn't stalking me."

"I wasn't stalking you!"

"Then what were you doing?"

"I was…! Uhh… examining you." Yang replied unsurely, tilting her head as if what she said had confused her.

"..." Stunned, Soma turned away and began walking towards the main building.

"A-Ah! Wait!" Throwing the scraps of newspaper in her hand to the ground Yang chased after Soma, grabbing his coat sleeve when she neared him. "I may have been spying on you, but it's only because I need to learn something!"

Sparing her a look, Soma sighed "You couldn't have just asked me?"

"Like you'd actually help?"

"Touchè"

Yang grinned at her victory before shaking her head "Teach me how to fight! I mean, I know how to brawl but an actual fight where you anticipate and things? I'm at a loss."

"Anticipate… and things…?" Soma repeated incredulously. "If you're asking me to teach you how to fight in battle with another person, the answer is no."

"No? Why!" Yang snapped, maneuvering herself so she stood directly in front of Soma.

"Because you're a fool. That's why." Pushing past the blonde, Soma continued on his path before he had to duck under a kick.

"Don't be such a jerk!" Yang yelled as she lowered her leg, her eyes in the transition from blue to red. "Why am I a fool? Huh?!"

"Stupid girl…" Soma grumbled as he pushed himself up out of his squat. "You're foolish because you're hot-headed and arrogant! Everything needs to be solved by beating it into the ground until it stops moving, that's how you fight!" Soma snapped, meeting Yang's fiery glare. "Maybe if you'd stop to think for once instead of attacking people, you'd realize that the only way to learn what you're asking is through hard, brutal experience!"

"You're telling me that you, somebody not much older than myself, has _that_ much more experience in battle than me? I really doubt that." Yang growled her fiery eyes in a deadlock with Somas'.

"Far more, yes."

"Unless you've been in some kind of war, there's no way you can stack up to my brawl count…"

Rolling his eyes, Soma looked around before approaching the blonde. Leaning down, he put his lips next to her ear; "Experience comes from more than street brawls, once you can kill another _human_ without hesitating we can talk." His voice low enough to send shivers through Yang's spine, she just stared silently over his shoulder as he pulled back and retreated into the main building.

Gritting her teeth, Yang shook her head and stormed across the courtyard towards the cafeteria. Her sister and the others should be there by now anyway. ' _Asshole. I don't need to kill to protect Ruby. You just watch…'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

"Have you gotten ahold of either of them yet?" Asked Ozpin as he watched the city shoot passed him outside the window.

"We've tried contacting both Captain Mithgail and Corporal Soma, however, neither have picked up their scrolls. It seems that we'll just have to relay any messages from Qrow to them."

"Hmm…" Narrowing his eyes, the director's eyes glinted behind his lenses. "I'll have to talk to them about this incident after the trip tomorrow." Turning from the window Ozpin shifted his attention towards Glynda who sat directly across from him. "Have one of your fourth years track them down and give them the details of where they should be."

With a curt nod, Glynda carried out Ozpin's orders through a quick phone call to her class's supply. "We're lucky the fourth years are actually on campus today, usually they're in the field for this trip."

"Is it luck, Glynda? Or is it the complete opposite." Perking up as their car came to a stop, both professors got out of the vehicle and rushed through the glass doors of Vale's hospital.

"Opposite? What are you getting out, Director?" Glynda queried as she jogged down the sterile white hallway beside an eerily concerned Ozpin.

"How long was Shio hunting down Grimm off the radar? How do we know that the Beowulf dispatched by Qrow was the last mutated species?"

"You think there are more…"

"I hope I'm wrong. The Grimm were hard enough to handle, start throwing mutations into the mix? Salem would be the least of our worries." Coming to a sudden stop, Ozpin peered inside a room and walked in. "We'll continue this later" he whispered, "Let's make sure our friend is okay first."

With a silent agreement from Glynda, they both silently approached the bed in which their dark-haired ally was situated. Qrow's head tilted slightly and he frowned. "Why are you here?"

"That's no way to-"

"I asked why you came. Ozpin should be at the school and you, well you should be doing whatever it is you do."

"Now Qrow, please try to be a bit more welcoming? We're concerned, it's not every day a hunter like yourself is hospitalized because of injuries." Ozpin spoke up before Glynda had a chance to, he saw the fire in her eyes and knew that nothing would keep her from lashing out at Qrow.

"It's nothing serious."

Grabbing the pad from beside Qrow's bed, Ozpin raised a brow "Nothing serious?"

Qrow felt his cheeks heat up as he whipped his head the other way with a grumble. The blankets shifted on top of him as he started sitting up. "Look, I appreciate the concern but just leave me be. I have a lot to think about."

"Why don't you just swallow your pride already?" Glynda snapped as she glared at the wounded hunter.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, you lost a few fights and now you're pissy. Why not just accept the fact that you're not invincible?"

"You're stepping outta line, Goodwitch," Qrow growled as he turned to face the blonde, narrowing his already dark eyes.

"Well, somebody had to hunt your ass down when you fly off the handle like this."

"Don't assume you know what happened! It's far more personal than a heartless bit-"

"Enough!" A shout accompanied by a loud bang caught the attention of both Qrow and Glynda. "Now is _not_ the time to be disputing petty grievances. Qrow is a prideful man, Glynda. Accept it." Glancing sidelong at the blonde, Ozpin silently demanded obedience to which she reluctantly submitted to.

"Fine."

Shifting his gaze to Qrow, the dark-haired man returned the glare before nodding in defeat. "Whatever."

"Who did this to you?" Ozpin asked slowly, his eyes returning to the pad on the desk. "Her people?"

Qrow nodded solemnly "Yeah, it was them." He didn't need to tell them about Raven. It wasn't necessary.

The two professors shared a look before nodding. "Alright, you heal up. Is there anything you want us to tell anybody while you're in here?"

"Yeah, tell the new guys to watch for people in those woods. I wanted to talk to them about the war effort but I can't very well do that right now, can I?"

Ozpin nodded his assent before turning to leave, Glynda trailing moodily behind him. Once they were gone, Qrow fell back into his bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I am not a prideful man, Oz. I'm just scared. The world is changing too fast for a washed-up warrior like myself…" Whispering to himself, Qrow let himself fall under the influence of his painkillers.

 ** _Outside Vale Hospital, Vale._**

"His aura should be speeding up the healing process, why isn't it?" Glynda spoke up, breaking the now tense silence between her and Ozpin.

"He seems to have some kind of poison in his bloodstream, it's rendering his aura near useless." Ducking into the car that drove them there, Ozpin bit down on his cheek. "If Salem's soldiers are fighting with aura-resistant weaponry, our students could be in trouble."

"They know how to fight Ozpin, they aren't reliant on aura, don't worry."

"But I am, our students know that attacks are weakened by their aura. How will they keep their composure in battle when the blood starts flying? If Salem's war resembles our last… I don't know if we can win."

"Ozpin. We'll win, trust me. I know that Qrow's condition has shaken you up, but please try to remember what it is that we do at Beacon. We aren't training warriors, we're training hunters." Glynda pulled her door together and leaned into her seat. "Warriors can't hunt, they only know how to kill. Salem doesn't have the resources to train hunters, doesn't have the patience. We do."

"You're suggesting we start training our students…"

"In real hunting. Yes."

Ozpin frowned, staring at the shrinking hospital as their driver shuttled them back to Beacon. "Professor Port, Professor Oobleck, Yourself and I. We're the only teachers that can do that."

"Yes, so are you ready to come out of retirement?" Glynda teased, her eyes challenging as she stared at him.

"I suppose…" Ozpin sighed. "I don't want to introduce any new teaching methods until the second semester though. I want our first years to develop some semblance of skill utilizing their aura against Grimm."

Glynda shook her head in agreement and fell silent for the duration of the ride back to the academy. ' _I've never seen Ozpin this stressed before. Hopefully, things take a turn for the better or he could be in a fairly dangerous position.'_

 ** _Beacon Cafeteria, Beacon._**

"Okay. So when are we going to talk about Blake?" Weiss whispered as she leaned over to Ruby, who offered up little more than a nervous shrug in response.

Shortly after Weiss, Ruby, and Shio had sat down with their lunches Blake shuffled in. Her usual cloud of angst seemed to surround the whole table only to vanish when she laid eyes on the carefree Shio who was curiously playing with her food.

Nothing had been said between the two girls, even though Shio seemed to be fully aware of Blake's unwavering glare. Weiss remembered how Shio confronted both Yang and Blake in class, was this what she was talking about? If so, she couldn't help but side with Shio. She couldn't rationalize any reason that Blake would be angry with the pale girl.

"I think we should let it be… last time we tried to talk with Blake when she was like this," Ruby shivered as she kept her voice low "I still have a lump on the back of my head from that book."

"Fair point." With a nod, Weiss returned to her platter of unappealing food. She couldn't blame Shio for deciding not to eat, the potatoes were runny, the steak was rock hard, the vegetables were ice cold… ' _The Chef must be having a bad day as well.'_

A loud stomping garnered the attention of all four girls, bringing their attention towards the livid blonde that had just stormed through the cafeteria doors. Her eyes were eerily calm in comparison to her steps. "Sis…? What's wrong?" Ruby asked concerned as her older sister took her seat beside Blake.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Uh-huh," Weiss mumbled as she chewed on a mouthful of steak. She shrunk back a bit as Yang shot her a look promising pain if she continued.

"I'm fine. That Soma guy just pissed me off is all." Leaning forward on her elbows, Yang let her head fall into her hands. Her hair falling off her shoulders as she focused on the surface of their table.

"Yang…" Ruby drawled as she glanced between Shio and Yang.

"What?" Looking up from the table, Yang glanced over at Shio and sighed. "Listen Shio, I know you may like him but he's an ass."

"Yang!" Ruby snapped. Her eyes widened as she covered her mouth, "That's… that's rude."

"Yeah. I'm rude." Yang hissed through grit teeth as she dropped the subject, the table being engulfed by an uncomfortable silence.

' _Am I the only one that hasn't gone through a total personality change in the past few days…?'_ Weiss thought to herself as she watched the tensions rise between the usually shy and cheerful duo. ' _Blake's always been gloomy, but these two?'_

"Ruby, it's fine…" Shio smiled as she looked up from her plate. She wasn't in the mood to even try and force the food down anymore. "Soma can be hard to deal with. He means well though."

"Shio…"

"Oh? So I'm not the only one that finds him to be insufferable." Yang let loose a sigh of relief and leaned back. "Good. I'd be concerned otherwise."

"..." Shio opted for silence, she didn't know how to act in this sort of situation. Whenever she was faced with an atmosphere like this she always modeled her behavior after the Captain, he seemed to get into the least trouble.

"Does he have anybody that likes him as a person? Aside from you and his Captain?"

"Hmm?" Shio looked up at Blake who, surprisingly, spoke to her. "Uhh… Alisa, Sakuya, Licca, Sakkaki, Brendan… I'm not very good with names. Sorry."

"Oh, more than I was expecting. He must be an accomplished hunter then, no?"

"He's not a hunter…"

"Not a hunter? But he's supposed to be protecting us in the woods during the trip tomorrow. How can a civilian do that?" Yang piped up, direction her attention to the young girl who was now shrinking away on the spot.

"He's a… soldier." Shio struggled to find the right words to describe her friend. "Him, and the Captain, and Alisa, Sakuya, they're all soldiers."

"Soldiers? Like the soldiers from Atlas? No offense to Weiss, but the Atlas soldiers can't compare to professional hunters."

"Hey! Our soldiers do just fine Yang, you don't need to specify our soldiers in general." Weiss snapped narrowing her eyes at the blonde across from her.

"Guys come on, let Shio eat," Ruby interjected. She could see where this was going, especially with her conversation about Shios personality earlier. ' _If this doesn't stop now,'_ Looking down at Shio Ruby grimaced ' _Shio will pick up a nasty new version of herself…'_

"No, Ruby. Let's learn a bit more about our soon-to-be protectors." Immediately shooting Ruby's attempt at defusing the situation.

"They're strong enough to beat me, that's all that matters." Setting her plate down, Shio looked up. ' _Please stop. Please.'_ Shio pleaded in her head, locking her eyes with the lilac of the blonde.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, couldn't beat me in a spar-"

""S-Shio…!"" Both Ruby and Weiss raised their opposition in unison, their eyes darting to the innocent girl. Unfortunately, they spoke up too late.

"-however they have all beaten me before. In real fights." Shio finished, her eyes sliding towards the dark-haired member of team RWBY.

"What's your point, Shio." Blake hissed, her Faunus instincts making her hair stand on end. If her ears were covered, she was sure they would've been pinned back.

"The whole point of being protected is to feel safe. Shouldn't them being stronger than you make you feel safe?"

"They aren't stronger than me!" Yang snapped, her eyes regaining some of their earlier red.

"Yang, don't be ridiculous. Shio isn't attacking you, she's just stating the facts, they're both professional soldiers. Whether they're stronger than a pro-Hunter or not is not important, they're stronger than us. Accept it." Weiss spoke up, pushing her plate away from her.

"I- I agree with Weiss, Sis. You and Blake both need to calm down, I don't know what's got you two so upset but can't you just let it go?"

"..." Outnumbered Yang nodded and leaned back a bit more.

"Blake…?" Ruby pressed, her eyes shifting towards the black haired teen.

"I'm not upset, just curious," Blake grumbled, refusing to take her eyes of Shio. "What nation do they serve?"

"Uhm…" Hesitating, Shio offered up a nervous smile before tilting her head to the side. "Dunno."

"You… don't know?"

"Nope! I was never really interested in the place I was living, it was too uptight." Shio shrugged, remembering the days she spent stuck in her ' _room_ ' back in the Far East Branch.

"That's a new level of ignorance…" Blake muttered incredulously. "Erm, what's the citizen situation there?"

"Blake…? That's a bit of a weird question, what are you getting at?" Ruby asked, shooting Blake a confused look.

She felt everyone's eyes on her, a light blush washing over her stony expression. "Uhh-"

"It's nothing like here. I know what you're asking, and they're not there." Shio says coolly, her eyes leveling with Blake's. "It's only people like Soma and the Captain."

"I see…" Blake nodded, her eyes shifting down to her plate. "No f-"

"No. No _hunters_." Shio interrupted, talking over whatever Blake was going to say.

Shio and Blake shared a look before the table delved into an unbearable silence. Yang let out a groan and sighed. "Alright. Let's make a plan for tomorrow, okay? I feel kinda responsible for this atmosphere so I may as well bring it up." She couldn't help but grin as Ruby smiled at her "Alright… so-"

 ** _Communications Building, Beacon._**

"- Understand?" A dark-haired fourth-year student asked as he watched the two men across from him. He was just about to return to his mission after a short lecture when he was asked to tell Mithgail and Soma where they needed to be for the first years trip. ' _It took me long enough to get them together, but they won't even look at each other now. Are these guys really professionals?'_ He thought to himself as said men just nodded and turned away from him. ' _I can't help but worry…'_

One angry and one ashamed, both warriors were halted by the voice of the student they were just talking to. "What?" Soma asked, Mithgail just glancing at the teen.

"Do your jobs tomorrow. I don't know what got between your partnership but you're guarding first years, living beings, people. If any of them get hurt- I'll hold you both personally accountable."

"Pfft…" Soma snorted as he listened to the fourth years warning. "We're having a little spat, nothing to stake your life on."

Mithgail simply nodded, mimicking the amused expression on Soma's face.

"Stake my life…?"

"Go on now, we'll head there now and start clearing out anything super worrisome. Don't worry kid." Soma smirked as he waved the kid off. ' _He reminds me of a younger Brendan. We never really spoke, but I kinda admire that man's determination. If this kid's anything like him? He'll make a great hunter'_ Smirking to himself, Soma motioned for Mithgail to follow and the two of them left the fourth year alone.

"What a weird duo… reminds me of the stories I heard about the few times Director Ozpin and Qrow Branwen fought together." Shaking his head, the kid chuckled before freezing. "Shit! My ship!" Breaking into a run, he rushed across the bridge towards the student helipad.

A few minutes away in the other direction, Soma and Mithgail walked in a fragile silence. Neither of them wanting to make the first move. Eventually, Soma took the chance;

"I haven't forgiven you."

"It's been two hours. I'd be worried if you forgave me that fast."

"Tch…" Jamming his hands into his pockets, Soma couldn't help but look at his Captain's arm.

"It still hurts. Yeah." Glancing down at his arm Mithgail shook it lightly, the red armlet glinting in the afternoon sun. "I guess this is just the curse of people like us."

" _Us_?"

"Yeah, people with abnormally high compatibility rates." Pointing at the middle ring of his armlet, Mithgail grinned "It's a trade-off, we get to be badass and our weapons get to feed off stronger hosts."

"..." Looking down at his own arm, Soma pulled his sleeve back a bit. ' _Nothing. Does it not want to feed? I've used my Arc just as much as Mithgail…'_ Confused, he fixed his sleeve and followed Mithgail as the two of them headed towards the forest they were told to be in.

"It's because our factors are different."

"Huh?"

"The data on you about your bias factor remember? You were born with it."

"Ah, yeah that's right." Soma nodded, "Guess you were the first out of everyone to know besides Sakuya hey?"

"Yeup, perks of being your Captain." Mithgail shrugged before frowning. "By the way, weren't we supposed to meet them at the gate tomorrow? How did we end up getting sent ahead of the actual group, almost a day early?"

"I guess something serious must have happened. You know how it goes." Soma shrugged, glancing down the hill they had arrived at he turned to Mithgail. "Find a branch or something to fight with. I don't want you using your Arc."

"I'll be fi-"

"Break a tree branch and start stabbing Grimm. If I even sense your Arc I swear I'll turn mine on you." Soma warned before stepping off the edge and sliding down the face towards the forest below.

"As you wish." Sarcastically, Mithgail looked around him and stepped off following Soma ' _Man, the scenery around Beacon changes fast when you're not paying attention. One minute we were in the courtyard by the big tower and now we're sliding down a hill… nothing like home.'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

It's been a few hours since Qrow was hospitalized and team RWBY settled their dispute in the and Mithgail and begun clearing out the forest ahead of the actual trip, something that excited neither of them. Ozpin and Glynda managed to get back to Beacon before the school day finished, announcing a few last things for the first years before ringing the bell signaling the end of the day.

Yang and Blake went on ahead, they managed to keep to themselves for the remainder of the day after lunch worrying the rest of their team but no arguments broke out so everything seemed to be boiling down. Ruby still couldn't figure out what was wrong with her sister and Blake but instead of pressing the matter she chose to keep herself occupied with her own partner and Shio.

"So, you're hanging with us tomorrow right Shio?" Ruby asked, looking over her shoulder at the smaller girl.

"Uh, if I can. I might not be able to though, it all depends on what wants me to do."

"I doubt she'll be able to. We're already a team of four if anything Shio might end up spectating or doing something with the two guys from earlier." Weiss interjected, earning a nod from Shio.

"Yeah, but I'll try Ruby! might be right though…" Shio frowned as she shuffled along beside Ruby.

"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed then!" Grinning at the girl, Ruby looked up at the doors and sighed "See you in the morning. I'm totally pooped from today."

"Mhm! See you!" Waving bye to Ruby and Weiss Shio kept walking down the pathway until she was out of sight. Neither Ruby or Weiss said anything until they were alone.

"Where does she sleep?" Weiss asked as Ruby opened the door and led Weiss inside. "She doesn't have a dorm yet does she?"

"Nope- I think she's staying with a teacher or something," Ruby muttered before yawning as she carried herself lazily up the stairs.

"You think…?" Weiss repeated, before shaking her head. "Nevermind, I'll find out tomorrow."

After walking upstairs, Ruby and Weiss wander into their dorm to find Yang and Blake already sitting there in silence.

Yang was listening to some sort of music, loud enough that Blake was shooting her irritated glares as she tried to read. Ruby and Weiss shared a look before closing the door and heading to their respective bunk opting to stay quiet for the remainder of the day.

Across the hall, team JNPR sat across from each other having a fairly pleasant conversation save for Jaune who was fidgeting slightly in his spot.

"UNO!"

"What are you doing, Nora? We're not playing Uno…" Ren sighed, glancing at his partner.

"But I am."

"Wha… you know what? Forget it. I hope you win."

"Yes!" Nora cried as she pumped her fists in the air. Across from her Pyrrha sat smiling warmly, her eyes alight with joy.

She couldn't have asked for a better team, they all knew who she was but not one of them seemed to actually care. They treated her as a partner and friend, not some famous girl. "Hey, Jaune…"

"Hmm? What is it Pyrrha?" Jayne snapped out of his stupor and turn to look at the curious redhead next to him. "Did I miss something?"

"Oh nothing serious, just Nora playing an imaginary card game." She shrugged, "Her aside, I was wondering if you and I could talk during the trip tomorrow. I had a few things I wanted to ask you while we were alone."

"A-Ah…? I uhm… I don't know." Jaune stammered, a noticeable blush creeping onto his features. ' _I-Is this a confession? My FIRST confession?! Holy shit… I gotta play it cool. Like I did back in class with Cardin even though I was like ready to die on the inside but at least I loo- damn it. Breath.'_

"Jaune?" Pyrrha frowned, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Ah, sure! Forget what I said, how about before we come back? We should get at least some free time."

"That would be wonderful. I'll be looking forward to it then." With that, Pyrrha turned her attention back to Ren and Nora, re-inserting herself into their conversation with godlike ease.

' _She's looking forward to it! This is awe- oh. Cardin… I gotta keep my promise with him though…'_ Almost immediately coming down from his high, Jaune fell back into his slump from earlier. ' _Whatever it is that's eating at him… making him so heartless… I'll find out tomorrow. Even if it ends with me in the hospital.'_

Sighing to himself, Jaune pushed himself up with the table and wandered over to his bed. "Hey guys, I'm tired so I'm gonna crash. See you in the morning."

""Night!"" Came a unified response from Pyrrha and Nora while Ren kept silent. His eyes studying Jaune before he smiled.

"Good night." Turning to the girl, Ren followed Jaune's example and stood up. "We should do the same, it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"All of us…? But it's only like, six!" Nora whined, pouting from her spot.

"Nora, they're right. We are going to be in a very dangerous place tomorrow, and we're leaving early. Maybe an equally early bedtime for today isn't that bad of an idea." Pyrrha whispered before she too stood up, wandering over to her bed and laying down.

"Ugh, you guys are all so lazy." Grumbling, Nora crawled over to the door and stood up. Switching off the light, she walked over to the bed next to Jaune and crawled in. ' _Man… Ruby's team too. Why is everybody so tense?'_ Forcing herself to close her eyes, Nora tried to fall asleep under the light of the setting sun.

 ** _Qrow's Flat, Vale._**

"Booooored." Shio yawned as she lay sprawled out on the carpet. Turning her head to the side, she stared at the analog clock on the wall. "Oh… that's right."

Frowning, Shio sat up and turned to look at the empty bookshelf. All the books were scattered across the floor. "I wish there was something there about telling time."

Walking over to the pile of books, Shio reached for one only to feel herself be pulled into her own memory.

" _Aragami killed_ _ **everything!**_ "

" _Shio…"_

Stumbling back Shio fell, barely catching herself. "Nng… why?"

" _Aragami do too! In a weird, one with nature kinda way…"_

" _Stop pressuring me…!"_

" _Hehe, look at all the colors !"_

" _It's okay… I'll always be here…"_

" _SOMA!"_

"Agh…" Reaching up, Shio held her head in her hands, pain wracking her mind. "W-What's happening? R-Ruby… Soma… Mithgail… somebody… please." Whispering to no one, Shio let out a cry as once again she was dragged into memories though this time they were not her own.

" _She is basically a God, hunting down other Gods for food and sport."_

" _I'm more worried about the Grimm, it's almost cruel to train her as a huntress."_

" _Do you think_ she _will come after her?"_

"STOP!" Shio screamed as the memories persisted, her tiny body quivering against the wall as she was forced to relive both her own and others past. "Why is this happening…?" She sobbed out, the lack of tears only making it worse on her. Then one memory stood out as the answer, her bloodshot eyes widening.

" _You act differently every time I see you…-"_

"No… this isn't what's supposed to be happening…" A cold feeling on her leg pulled her from her meltdown. Looking away from the floor Shio stared at the dark red on her calf, wiping her her upper lip she found more of the unusual liquid on her palm now.

The edges of her vision grew blurry as the memories returned, her body slumping to the side before the world went black.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

"Alright! Everybody stand still and shut up!" Yelled a fourth year who had been asked to corral the first years while Glynda made sure everything was ready. "Listen, this is only being said once. This trip is as much about training as your combat classes are. You may _hopefully_ not fight, but you need to learn how to work as a legitimate team in the field. Much like the initiation test, teachers will be present however excluding any severe circumstances they will not intervene whatsoever. If you're attacked by Grimm, deal with it. Your task is to gather the amount of sap corresponding to the number of jars your team was supplied." He looked around, doing a quick headcount before referencing the attendance sheet in his hands. "Any questions?" Taking the silence as a no, the fourth year stepped aside letting Glynda who had just arrived, take center stage.

"Well done." Glynda nodded as the student turned and retreated to the ship starting up behind him. "Now, since he was kind enough to explain things for me I want you all to board the airship as a team. No groups of two, three or five." Turning around, Glynda walked around to the passenger side of the ship and sat next to the pilot. For the most part, the students boarded normally, save for a few stragglers that took their time. Surprisingly, one such group was team RWBY and a surprisingly grumpy Shio.

"Too tired." Groaned Yang as she dragged her feet along the pavement, dreading the long morning ahead of her.

"Like you're one to talk, your music kept me up all night. I barely got my own sleep!" Weiss snapped, her ponytail flicking up as she whipped her head around to glare at the blonde.

"U-Uh guys, let's _not_ fight right now? I mean… everybody is kinda waiting for us." Stepping between the two, Ruby forced a smile as she caught the eye of Glynda just up ahead.

"Yeah, Ruby's right you two. Maybe you should tone it down a bit." Blake spoke up, though her expression was as disinterested as her voice.

Despite the sarcasm-filled response, both Weiss and Yang sighed as they sat down across from each other on the ship. Blake nestled herself in the corner by the door where she could get the sleep she herself had missed out on. Unlike her partner and teammate, she didn't feel the need to get angry about missing sleep. She did it enough that she had grown accustomed to it.

Letting her head drop, Ruby sat next to Weiss. ' _Can't we get along for once? I think I preferred Weiss yelling at me over Blake and Yang…_ ' Peeking out, Ruby caught a glimpse of Shio before she disappeared around the side of the ship.

Shio had intended on slipping into the ship unnoticed, unfortunately, she was caught by Glynda.

"Here, Shio. Sit in the front with me, I know you've yet to receive any actual team or partner."

"I doubt I will." Shio grumbled as she took her seat next to Glynda. " won't put me on a team with his students."

"What makes you say that?"

"Aside from the fact that I'm not human?" She kept her voice low to keep anybody from overhearing her "He doesn't think I can work well enough on a team."

"That's not true! It's just… hard. Ability wise you're already able to survive in the world by yourself. When it comes to your power, you're most likely on the level of a professional hunter like Professor Port. In terms of your tactics in battle, you're far too rash. It's not easy to find teammates that can match or balance that criteria."

Shio glanced up at Glynda before turning her out to look out at the shrinking ground. She squeezed her eyes shut when her head throbbed with the memories of the previous night. ' _That was horrible. I'd never felt such pain…'_ As the pavement turned to treetops, Shio scowled. ' _I don't ever want to go through that again. Is that what others feel when I share my memories with them?'_ She glanced sidelong at Glynda who had taken to going over the itinerary for the trip when Shio refused to respond.

Shaking her head, Shio grit her teeth and stared at the woods below her. ' _I hope I can get away for a bit to relieve some stress…'_ Watching the odd Beowulf scurry through the trees. ' _My head is still killing me…!'_

White flashed across her eyes as Shio was subjected to yet another memory of hers;

" _It's calling me."_

" _Huh? What are you talking about Shio?"_

" _The island… it's calling me. It tells me that I should go to it…"_

Pressing her thumb into her index finger, Shio forced the memory back to the deepest recess of her mind. ' _I refuse to remember that time… when I caused Soma so much pain…'_ She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the ship lurch downwards as it started to descend.

The landing didn't take too long, nor did the students as they rushed out into the forest around them. "It's so... alive," Shio muttered as she listened to the birds chirping and flying around in the trees. The minute her feet touched the grassy earth under her, she was assaulted by the sweetest smell. It filled her body like a rush of fresh air, her instincts flaring up as the aroma seemed to demand control of her. "This must be the sap we're here for…"

"Alright! Break off into your groups and fill your jars, we'll meet back here in an hour! If you find yourselves in a serious situation, just scream!" Glynda yelled as the groups began to disperse.

Shio caught a glimpse of team RWBY but before she could move to accompany them, she felt her limbs lock up. Her eyes widened as the saps scent filled her once again, this time accomplishing its previous task. Her animalistic side kicked into overdrive and she took off in the opposite direction of the forest, ignoring the shouting Glynda who was calling out after her.

On the other side of the ship, Blake too was suffering from the effect of the sap though unlike the Grimm and Shio, she wasn't fully inhuman so instead of losing control her patience thinned to a wire and she grew ready to snap at anybody who spoke out against her.

 ** _Forever Fall, Eastern Sector._**

"Done." Declared Soma, patting his hands against his pants. Across from him was Mithgail with his foot buried in the gut of a now dead Beowulf. "See? You _can_ kill them without your scythe."

"Yeah. I guess I can." Shaking his boot off, Mithgail turned to see an airship landing. "Eight-thirty, Southern Sector. Right on time, hey?"

"That they are." Soma nodded, letting out a small yawn.

"What are we at now? Twenty-nine hours without sleep?"

"Give or take yeah. Why do you ask?" Soma turned to watch the crows taking off from their perches where the students just landed.

"Just keeping track is all." Mithgail shrugged before spinning at the sound of leaves rustling. He dropped into a fighting stance as he watched a Beowulf lap up some of the sap leaking out of a tree. "I've been meaning to ask, but don't these Grimm seem off to you? They're still hostile, but now it's more territorial than it is out of sport."

"It's probably just the sap, drives them loopy. Certain smells can do that to animals." Soma shrugged as he walked over to the Grimm and lifted his foot. "Nothing," He brought his foot down with enough force that the Beowulfs skull caved in before it disappeared. "To worry about."

"Soma, animals act on instinct. Right?" Mithgail narrowed his eyes as he watched the tree lines across from him. "The scent kicks them into high gear and the animal flips, kind of like giving a cat catnip."

"In a way, yeah. The smell stimulates their senses making them act out to satisfy whatever urge the scent brings on. In this case, hunger. It's what made our job so easy." Soma chuckled darkly to himself, shaking his head.

"Shio, Soma."

"What about her?"

"She acts off instinct just as much as the Grimm do."

"You couldn't mean…"

Mithgail nodded slowly, a concerned expression crossing his face. "Imagine what a starved aragami will do when faced with hunger-inducing scents…"

"Damn it!" Kicking away from the tree, Soma bolted in the direction of the grounded ship kicking up the dusty remains of the Beowulf behind him.

Mithgail followed without missing a beat, his heart beating in his ears as his feet slammed against the earthen path that he and Soma and carved out during their overnight stay.

The two God Eaters saw in tunnel vision, ignoring the odd Grimm as they barreled through the dark woods like a pair of living bullets. "Soma! When we get there I want you to look for any signs of where Shio could have gone!"

"You don't think she'd stay with the group?" Soma questioned, looking over his shoulder.

"She's too kind, I'll let you follow her while I stay with the group! If she by chance returns feral… I'll find a way to put her down without harming her!"

"..." Soma grit his teeth, praying for the first time in a long time that Shio left some sort of trail in her wake for him to follow. He doubted that either of them could take her one on one without using the full extent of their arcs… even then. It took the whole first unit to subdue her the first time. ' _Please, Shio. Try to control yourself, at least until we find you…'_

* * *

 ** _As always, if you guys have any questions about the chapter or just for me, in general, please feel free to PM me._**

 ** _PS;_**

 ** _In regards to The Levithan's Berry, if any of those readers are here, I plan to continue the rewrite soon. I had a lot come up that took priority over writing so everything got put on hold. This story will be my main focus for the time being however, so if you guys have any questions regarding that story of mine feel free to PM me as well._**


	8. Forever Fall Pt3

**_Heya! Quicker upload this time, I started writing this after posting chapter seven and just didn't stop. I hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

"-sa… wake up, come on!" Hissed Sakuya as she gripped her teammate's shoulder. "Licca isn't going to be waiting much longer!"

"Mmnn?" Alisa cracked her eyes open at the sound of the voice. "Waiting for what?" She grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up.

Alisa had fallen asleep on the couch in Sakuya's room, apparently, the older woman saw fit to just leave her be until now.

"For us! She was running some tests on the dagger that the Unknown Aragami had appeared from," Pulling the teen to her feet, Sakuya smiled softly "She located, while faint, two signals from inside the Aragami."

"Two signals… you can mean…!" Instantly awake, Alisa shook her head to rid herself of any further grogginess.

"That's what she's thinking. It's not concrete, but she said she wants to try and replicate the events of the original happening. Now come on, she can explain things far better than I!" Sakuya turned on her heel and walked up to the door leading out of her room followed by a nervous, yet excited Alisa.

The higher ups had put them under house arrest countless times, each time Sakuya and Alisa managed to break out and try to accept any missions regarding large class Aragami. Hibari had been less than cooperative in those situations but this time was different. They were no longer under watch like they were before, Command having long abandoned what quickly became futile attempts to contain them.

The elevator in front of them was just opening, revealing a group of recruits that had stepped off the metal platform that carried them up from the lounge. Slipping past them with expert movements, the two remaining members of the first unit quickly sent the elevator down to the laboratory to meet up with Licca.

As the heavy iron doors peeled apart, the smell of molten metal assaulted the senses of the two soldiers. The room was dimly lit, save for the burning embers of the many furnaces spread along the two walls. "This is the lab…? I've never seen a lab like this…"

" _My_ lab. It ain't as sciency like something Sakaki would have but it's home for me!" Came the voice of the loved mechanic Licca.

Standing off to the corner, the silver-haired teen waved over the two God Eaters. Her dark grey eyes reflecting the light of the furnaces. Licca usually wore a pair of red goggles, however, after an accident in her personal testing room not more than a month back, she was waiting for their repair. As the Alisa and Sakuya approached her, it was revealed that she wore her usual attire which consisted of a dark grey undershirt and an unbuttoned pair of navy blue overalls. Her black and yellow security boots beat against the metal ground as she led the two girls to a door in the back of the room.

"Licca… Sakuya told me." Alisa whispered, her eyes pulling away from the small girl she forced a small smile. "I'm sure you're going against protocol doing this…"

"Damn right I am. But at the same time, damn protocol. I mean, no offence to you girls, but without the Captain and Soma? The first unit just won't survive. So I took it upon myself to… well, I'll wait until we are in my private quarters to explain any further. What I've done is uh… risky to say the least. Now get in!" Licca ushered Alisa and Sakuya into the room, closing and locking the door behind them all. "Alright! Now, I'm sure Sakuya explained things?" She glanced sidelong at said woman, who shrugged in response.

"I haven't said anything more than the discovery of two signals," Sitting down on a chair in the corner, Sakuya waved her hand for Licca to explain.

"Okay. Well, Tsubaki had me and Sakaki run a few tests on the oracle cells that activated around the time that Soma and Mithgail were taken-"

"Taken?"

"Hush! I'll explain."

Sakuya leaned over to Alisa, her eyes trained on the mechanic. "Don't worry, she's just strung out on caffeine. I don't think she's slept in a week…"

"Ahem, as I was saying, the oracle cells we found were yet another new strain. However, unlike the strains in other large-scale and deusphage aragami, this one is completely passive." As if she sensed the question forming in Alisa's mind, Licca held up a gloved hand. "To elaborate, that was the aragami equivalent of a plant. It breathes and dies in the same way other aragami do, however it is born from what we _thought_ was a dagger. It was actually a root."

"A root? Like a tree?" Alisa questioned, her confused etched clearly onto her features.

"Exactly! That _thing_ is like a moving tree, it didn't mean any harm by grabbing the guys. They were just the closest things to it."

"A tree? Aragami or not, that thing had arms, legs and eyes. It was not a tr-" A loud hissing filled the room, revealing a small hidden glass cube that was hidden behind the wall.

Inside was a miniature oak tree, the limbs and leaves seemed to be growing into the glass. "It's…"

"Pure black." Licca finished before she flashed a grin at Sakuya who, like Alisa, was seeing this specimen for the first time. "This grew from a single cluster of cells that the Captain had managed to dislodge from the larger version. After I ran a few experiments, I came to the conclusion that it grows in correspondence to the Bias Fields surrounding its sampling form. When you four approached it the other week, I'm sure you all had some sort of monstrosity in mind. Am I wrong?"

"Well, no. But…"

"But nothing Alisa! This is one of few Aragami, like the abbadon that is not hostile by nature towards humans." Licca grew silent, which brought a look of suspicion onto both Alisa and Sakuya's face.

"What is it, Licca?" Questioned Alisa as she stared at the oracle tree in the wall.

"Well, it's true that this thing took the two guys. And it's true that we found traces of their signals… there is no guarantee that they are alive. I want to make that abundantly clear before I go any further. Am I clear?" Two simple nods of the head had Licca talking again "Perfect. Ahh… phew. Okay. Don't freak out, but, if I can get to the original specimen without anybody else to impede me- oh, excluding you girls of course-, I'm almost like… sixty percent sure, I can make contact with them."

"What?!" Alisa shouted, jumping to her feet and all but running to Licca as her hands found the mechanics shoulders. "H-How?"

"Eh… it seems that the two of them each have a second signal in addition to that of their bracelets. I spent a little time analyzing it, and it seems eerily similar to what our ancestors used to keep in contact. I believe they were called smartphones, they could rec-"

"Receive incoming calls and make outgoing ones amongst other fairly useless features." Interjected Sakuya, "I had a file on them in my terminal. Don't ask me why."

"Ah, well yes. What Sakuya says is true. It will take some time, and maybe a bit of backtracking when it comes to my knowledge of technology to find out approximately what kind of setup this signal connects to. If I succeed, and they're alive and in control of their actions, I should be able to reach them."

"What do you need. Alisa and I will gather any materials you need."

"Yeah, just ask and we'll handle it!" Alisa exclaimed, her eyes wide as she thought of getting into contact with her friends.

"Well…" Licca drawled as she glanced over her shoulder at the wall of messy notes she had acquired. She risked a peek at the two girls who seemed more than prepared to work themselves to the bones. "Fine. Though, as much as this upsets me, I don't want you pairing up with anyone from other units. They'd all want to help, that I'm sure of, but unlike you two they aren't as tight-lipped when it comes to duties. I can't have what I'm doing down here slip out around Tsubaki or Sakaki."

Alisa and Sakuya shared a look before they both nodded. "No problem."

"Great, then let's get started!"

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

 _ **Forever Fall, Southern Sector.**_

"Shio! Get back here!" Screamed Glynda as she watched the white-haired girl break into a run off into the forest. Shio disappeared in a flash, leaving Glynda torn between staying with the ship or running out after Shio.

"We'll find her Ms, don't worry!" Ruby called out, earning mixed reactions from her team. "We planned on heading out that way anyways!"

"I'm not going to let a group of huntresses in training run off after her alone." Glynda snapped, turning her worried stare into a glare.

"But you planned on letting us go scavenging for sap without supervision anyways right? Isn't that just as dangerous?" Ruby leaned her head to the side, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"I… haa. Fine." Glynda relented, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Make sure you stay together though, and your time to get back here hasn't changed whether you find Shio or not. Understood?"

"Yes!" Ruby nodded before she ran off after Shio, leaving her team with no choice but to chase after her.

"Ruby, wait up!" Cried Weiss as she pulled out her rapier and created glyphs on the path behind Ruby, boosting the speed of her and the two girls beside her. "Yang, you're her sister, try to slow her down!"

"No, she has the right idea. We need to find Shio." Muttered Yang as she forced herself to run, her mind a tired, disorganized mess.

Blake was no better, with the lack of sleep in addition to the allure of the sap, the Faunus was struggling not to copy Shio's actions. ' _Whatever this sap is… its dangerous in doses as large as this…'_ She mused to herself as her eyes scanned the brush around them, trying to pick up any sign of her white-haired rival.

Biting her lip, Ruby resisted the urge to activate her semblance. She wasn't confident enough in her ability to see Shio while going as fast as she would be going. ' _What are you thinking, Shio? Running off into the woods like this.'_ Shaking her head, the red-haired teen sidestepped an oncoming tree.

Off in the distance, she could make out what appeared to be a small white body darting through the trees. "...!" Suppressing the urge to shout, she watched the young girl come to a stop partially hidden by the bushes. "Guys… is that Shio up there?" She spoke out, pointing in the direction of the figure.

"Who are you pointing at, Sis? Nobodies over there." Yang frowned as she squinted, shaking her head.

"You can't see her? Standing right there?"

"No." Yang looked over her shoulder and watched as Blake and Weiss made similar expressions to her own. "Listen, why don't you go back to the ship? I know how close you and Shio are, the concern is probably just getting to you."

Biting her lip, Ruby let out a sigh before nodding. "Maybe you're right. I'll head back to the ship, you guys keep looking." Spinning on her heel, Ruby began to walk back in the direction they had run.

"Wait, I'll go back with you." Weiss piped up, leaving Yang's side. "I don't want to get in trouble if you get lost… or worse." Matching Ruby's pace, the heiress followed her until they were out of sight.

"Ruby gave in a little too easily don't you think?" Yang raised her brow in suspicion, "She's usually all ' _No! I'm not leaving you!'_ Y'know?"

"Not really," Turning to look at the path ahead, Blake inhaled sharply before grimacing. "This way." Kicking off of the rock nearest to her, Blake shot deeper into the woods forcing Yang to drop her concern and follow her.

"So do you still plan to… y'know. Fight her?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think it's a bit much? I mean, I totally get your sentiment but-"

"If you don't want to help anymore, that's fine. All I need you to do is make sure that we're not interrupted." Blake ducked under a low-hanging branch before she turned sharply. "I still want to confirm my suspicions about her." She skidded to a halt in a clearing, eyes darting side to side ' _It also stung that I was beaten by a girl that young. I can't let my pride take a blow like that without seeking a rematch.'_ Her teeth groaned as she clenched up, her body tensing up as she prepared to run again.

"Wait!" Her body was yanked back by Yang who had grabbed her arm. "This might seem weird coming from me, but don't you think this clearing is too you know, clear? I think we should go around it."

"You're right. That is weird coming from you." Blake nodded before she shrugged Yang's hand off. "The clearing looks like a _clearing_. They're named that because they're empty." Blake stepped out into the open and opened her arms. "See?"

"Hmm." Yang followed Blake's example. ' _It will be quicker this way… but why can't I shake this feeling? It's like I'm forgetting something.'_ She shook her head, focusing on her partner in front of her. "Hold up a minute, I want to ask you something."

"What now." Blake turned in place, levelling her eyes with the blonde.

"Let's say we _do_ find Shio first. What do you plan to do after fighting her?"

"Why does that matter? It's kind of a pointless question." Blake grumbled while she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Pointless or not, I want to know. Shio is Ruby's friend, and even though I wanna fight her to see how strong she _really_ is, I don't want her to get seriously hurt."

"..."

"After the fight, what do you plan to do. Your answer will affect whether I turn back here or not." Yang demanded, her voice harsh as she spoke.

"If my suspicions are wrong, I'll apologize and personally escort her back to the ship."

Yang hesitated, swallowing tightly before she found her voice again "If you're right?"

"I'll kill her," Blake stated, matter-of-factly.

A cold chill ran up Yang's spine, her eyes widening at the brutal honesty in her partner's voice. "Kill her? What the hell are you talking about Blake? Shio is a _little girl!_ She's not even a teenager yet, how can you say something that cold with a straight face!" Yang yelled, her throat aching as her voice ripped out of her lungs. ' _This is insane. Has she really be planning to kill her over a_ spar _?'_

"She's not a little girl, Yang. In fact, I doubt she's even human."

"That's going too far, Blake. Just because she's stronger than you doesn't mean she's not human." Yang growled as she glared at the teen across from her.

"You don't ne- hmm?" Blake paused mid-sentence as she turned her head to look into the forest beside them. "It seems like we have company."

"Of course we do." Yang clenched her fists and turned to face the red eyes hidden in the dark of the woods, as well as the eyes around it. Pair after pair rearing out into the light. "A lot of company…" She bit her lip and took an instinctive step back, a movement which Blake copied. "Just to be clear… we're running right?"

"Unless you're keen on dying here?"

"That's what I thought." Yang spun around and broke into a run opposite of the eyes which were now moving towards them. "Dammit Blake! Why'd you have to piss me off?!" Yang roared over the sound dozens of paws tearing the earthen ground up.

"Piss you off? I didn't do it on purpose! It's not my fault you couldn't handle the truth!" Blake chased after Yang, not even daring to look over her shoulder. It wasn't worth sacrificing her speed.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't know I was supposed to be okay with my partner being a psychopath!" Yang leapt over a fallen tree, swinging off a branch to put some extra distance between the hoard and her.

"I'm not a psychopath!" Following Yang's example, Blake activated her semblance and made a shadow clone in her place before disappearing into the bushes off to the side. The twigs and thorns tore at her skin, none of them penetrating her aura. ' _Damn it where'd she go?'_ Peering out between the odd gap in leaves, Blake caught sight her her blonde ally and made a beeline for her. ' _I'll deal with the fallout for this after.'_ Cutting across the incoming wave of Grimm, Blake tackled Yang. The force of the collision sent both girls tumbling down a nearby decline.

"Ugh!" Yang groaned out as her side slammed into the corner of a boulder.

Their world spun out in front of their eyes, the trees and the ground swapped places as the burning sun kissed the lake far below them.

"Yang, hold on!" Blake cried out as she felt her back impact a broken trunk sending the pair up into the air.

Now airborne, any sense of pain the girls felt gave way to pure adrenaline. At some point, the decline gave way to a large cliff face which the girls soared over.

"Blake, if we survive I am going to kill you!" Yang screamed as she held Blake in a bear hug. Gravity quickly righted itself and the girls plummeted hundreds of feet towards certain death in the waters below.

Ignoring her partner's screaming, Blake struggle to grip the handle of her blade. "Yang! Try and spin us around!"

"Why?!"

"JUST DO IT!" Blake snapped, her eyes widening as she watched the ground grow closer than she was comfortable with.

"Ugh, whatever!" Yang leaned to the right, managing to flip the two of them around.

' _Good. Now, please work!'_ Blake prayed in her head as she felt her weapon extend, detaching from the hilt and shot towards the cliff face behind them.

 _ **Eastern Sector, Forever Fall.**_

"Come on Jauney, we're not going to get this done with you dragging your feet like this!" Snapped Dove, who forcefully clapped the leader of team JNPR on the shoulder. He stumbled forward a bit before he caught himself.

"Sorry, I'm just worried about Shio," Jaune muttered as he started walking faster, his eyes struggling to stay centred on the path in front of him.

"The grade-school brat? So she ran off, Glynda ain't gonna let her die. Don't stress out about it." Grumbled Cardin from up ahead of the group.

' _I appreciate the attempt, Cardin… but you could have at least used her name…'_ Jaune frowned as he lost himself in his head, mindlessly following after the bully.

"Here." Cardin stopped and snapped his finger. "Russell put the box down there." Pointing to a spot in between two trees, Russell Thrush did just that.

"Alright, so your job is easy Jaune. All you've got to do is," Cardin knelt down and pried open the box before he pulled out a container full of sap. "Take this container, and throw it at Pyrrha down there." He swung his arm out, the cap of the container settled on the redhead between the trees.

"At Pyrrha…? She hasn't done anything to you." Jaune asked, his throat tightening up as he glanced at his partner. ' _I knew I was going to be doing something I didn't like, but this? It's too much…'_

"She's full of herself," Cardin shrugged, walking in front of Jaune. "That's all that you need to know. Now, here. I know this will be tough, her being your idol and all, so I'll be nice and help you line it up. Okay?" Cardin pushed the container into Jaunes palm and dragged him over to the space between the trees.

"Cardin…" Jaune whispered as he felt Cardin pull his arm back and step away, standing beside his team.

' _Just do it Arc.'_ Cardin urged in his head as he forced a cocky grin, risking a glance at his teammates. ' _Don't you dare humiliate me in front of these guys.'_

"..." Jaune gripped the container, rearing his arm back as he prepared to throw. ' _I'm so gonna regret this…'_ Swinging his arm down, Jaune spun miss throw and let go. The glass container soared up into the air before it shattered against Cardin's chest plate. ' _Yup. Here it comes.'_

"You…" Cardin looked down, his eyes wide. "You really grew a pair Arc." Chuckling, Cardin wiped his chest plate off and walked over to the downed blonde. "Here."

"You're not mad…?" Jaune asked, grabbing Carson's extended hand.

"No! Not at all." Cardin shook his head, pulling Jaune up and stepping in close. "I'm humiliated." He whispered as he grabbed the belt of Jaunes pants. "And now, I'm going to humiliate you." With a swift and brutal motion, Cardin flipped Jaune over his shoulder and let go, watching as the blonde landed on his back a few feet away from him.

"WOOH!" Dive cried out as he watched Jaune bounce off the grass. He stepped back with Sky and Russell, staying out of Cardin's way as he settled his score with the fellow leader.

"Ugh…" Jaune writhed on the ground, holding his back as he stared up at the cloudy sky. Soon, the beautiful sky was replaced with Cardin's face.

"All I asked was for you to throw that container at Pyrrha." Cardin hissed as he sat on Jaunes chest, bringing his fist up before punching the teen in the jaw. "Was it that," Once again, Cardin's knuckles met with Jaunes jaw. "Hard?!" And again.

Jaune squeezed his eyes shut as his head was knocked left to right, his jaw crying out in protest against the onslaught. "Get off me, Cardin!" Jaune shouted, pushing through the pain as he snaked his arm free and returned one of the many punches Cardin had landed. As soon as Jaune felt the weight on his chest disappear, he scrambled to his feet and drew his sword holding it out in front of him. "Li-"

" _ **RAAGH!**_ "

Jaune flinched and spun around, instinctively holding his sword up in front of his face as the newly revealed Ursa Major stomped out from between two now bent trees.

"GRRIIIMM!" Screamed Sky as he and the other two members of team CRDL tucked tail and ran leaving Jaune and Cardin to fend for themselves.

"Damn it guys! Get your asses back here!" Roared Cardin as he rose to his feet, pulling his mace out. Knowing they didn't hear him, he clicked his tongue and glanced at Jaune. His jaw bruised, lips broke open and bloody. "You can't really think of challenging this thing, right? You don't have aura to protect you like I do, just get behind me!"

"Shut up, Cardin! I punched you back didn't I?" Jaune snapped as he backed up, coming to stand next to his bully.

"Yeah, but I'm not an Ursa Major. If you punch that thing in the face and survive I'll pay you."

"Hey, I'm not stupid," Jaune started, glancing at Cardin "There's no guarantee you'd actually pay me."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Jaune Arc? The Arc I know would've run," Cardin grinned before he rolled out of the way of the Ursa's swipe. "Why stay with a bully like me?"

"Simple!" Jaune grunted as he ducked under the second swipe and swung his sword up across the Majors chest. The Grimm recoiled, but no damage was inflicted. "The fact you stayed when your team ran. I knew from that point, that you were more than a bastard!" As if he lost control of his body, Jaune felt all his movements grew sharp as he evaded the fatal paws of the Grimm before he leapt up cleaved its head from its body.

Jaune landed off balance, the mysterious force having let go of him. ' _W-Woah…'_ Catching himself from falling, he spun and held up sword up at Cardin across the field as the ash rained down from the deceased Grimm. "You're a bastard that actually cares."

"..." Pushing himself to his feet, Cardin scoffed and turned away. ' _A bastard who cares huh? Maybe…'_ Picking up his discarded Mace, the bully stalked off into the woods to look for his cowardly teammates.

"A-Ah! Cardin wait up!" Jaune started before catching sight of his audience in the corner of his eye. "Oh, uh, hey guys!" He grinned, holding his arm up in greeting. "Did you see all that?"

"Yeah! That's as like, totally awesome!" Nora cried as she ran out towards her leader "You were all like ' _Simple!'_ and then got all epic and cut the big bear up!"

"Yeah, I was going to intervene but you did fairly well." Ren nodded, smiling as he stood a little ways away.

It seemed any nearby students heard their little dispute, Jaune was both a little ashamed of being seen in the state he was and confident knowing people saw him fight and kill an Ursa Major.

"When do you plan on telling him, ?"

Pyrrha flinched and looked over her shoulder, forcing a smile at her professor. "Whatever could you mean, ?"

Glynda raised a brow before she shook her head. "Don't let his ego swell. Make sure he learns the difference between a fluke like this and his actual ability. Only through that understanding, will he ever grow into a strong hunter."

Pyrrha nodded, fully understanding what Glynda was talking about. "I will. Don't worry."

"Good." Glynda turned her attention towards the group of people surrounding Jaune. "Okay! Let's get back to business, you now have an hour to collect whatever you can. Don't forget to keep an eye on the sun!" With that, she walked back to the ship leaving Pyrrha alone in her thoughts.

"Hey, Pyrrha! Our little Jaune killed a Grimm all by himself!" Nora teased as she skipped over to the redhead, a playful grin plastered across her face.

"Nora!" Jaune whined as she stumbled after her, holding his back from where she had 'pat' him.

"Ah? Oh yes. I'm very proud." Pyrrha smiled at Jaune as he approached. "Oh…"

"P-Pyrrha?" Jaune forced himself to stand still as he watched Pyrrha wipe away some of the blood that had pooled around his lip.

"Next lesson we'll focus on aura manipulation." Tracing her bloodied finger down his chin, Pyrrha smudged it into the engraving on his chest plate. "I'll make sure you can take hits just as hard as the ones you're going to be dishing out."

"Really…? I was sure you wanted to do more static stuff, like stances."

"You never stop learning that, but if you don't have aura to protect you against Grimm? You won't live long enough to learn." Pyrrha smiled softly, patting Jaune on the shoulder. "I was wondering why you disappeared with Cardin without saying a word. I understand now."

"Pyrrha…" Jaune blushed slightly before backing away "Okay! Let's get this sap, I wanna get out of this forest ASAP. Who's with me!" He spun around, clapping his hands together loudly.

Pyrrha shook her head, letting a softly chuckle escape her lips. ' _You are the only one that could lead our team the way you do. If you keep this up, we'll no doubt be one of the strongest teams in Beacons history. I'm sure of it.'_

 _ **Beacon Ship, Forever Fall.**_

"Ah, Glynda."

"Hmm? Oh, Soma." Glynda nodded as she came to stand across from the man.

"What happened, I heard screaming."

"Yeah, well, some of the students were attacked by an Ursa Major- ah, wait!- nobody got hurt." Glynda held her finger up, watching Soma sag forward. "It's not your fault either, I wasn't expecting every Grimm gone. This is a huge forest, it was attracted to a dispute between the leaders of two teams."

"I see." Soma frowned, "By the way, Mithgail went looking for Shio. When we got back here we saw Ruby and her team running off so he decided to trail them."

"Thank God." Glynda sighed softly, putting a hand to her chest "I was worried about them being in the woods so far away from my sight."

"Back home they would have probably died," Soma drawled, "But with the captain following them, no Grimm stands a chance."

"I've heard nothing good about your homeland, Shio said that these _Aragami_ destroyed everything. Is that true?"

"Partially. The Aragami destroyed most of the population, however, small pockets of trained resistances push back the hoards. Not many though." Soma shrugged, putting his hands into his pockets.

"How did these Aragami destroy as much as they did? I know that must sound horrible, it's just, they sound so similar to the Grimm. I've seen what one of them looks like, but, seeing and experiencing is very different."

"You saw one?! How!" Soma snapped, pushing off the side of the ship to stand in front of Glynda.

"I don't know how, but Shio showed both Professor Ozpin and myself."

"Alright… well to answer your question, they're far worse. Only because unlike the Grimm, which I've heard has an unknown origin," Soma paused, getting a nod of confirmation from Glynda "Aragami have a painfully definite origin."

"What do you mean?"

"Two scientists made a discovery of a new microorganism, which the dubbed Oracle cell. These _oracle cell_ came to be known as a semi-sentient single cell organism. At the time there was only one." Soma closed his eyes as he leaned against the metal side of the ship. "The two scientists, enthralled by their million dollar discovery, went public. They didn't have enough evidence or funding, so the program was shut down."

Glynda kept quiet, moving to stand beside Soma.

"The oracle cell was left unattended, for a stupidly long time. And like all living things, it got lonely. To combat this newfound feeling, the oracle cell evolved into an organism that rapidly duplicated itself. By the time the two scientists kissed enough ass to reopen the lab, the _microorganism_ had duplicated enough to be seen without a microscope. In fact, it was large enough that it almost looked like an animal to them at first." He cracked his knuckles as he recounted what his father had told him. "From there, things only went downhill. This microorganism became something far more sinister, which killed almost every single member of these scientists research team."

"It was only a matter of time until it evolved into a whole new being once again, this time a superorganism, which is more commonly known as the Aragami. It was only one at first, but with this _single_ superorganism in the world, all the other

Oracle Cells in the wild rapidly evolved and adapted to a form that would do the most devastation to wherever it was, depending on the number of oracle cells in the superorganism."

"What do you mean…?" Glynda questioned, slowly processing everything she had heard thus far. "How can a semi-sentient organism adapt to their environment that much?"

"Because one of the smallest of Aragami, which we called the Abaddon, is a superorganism composed of hundreds of thousands of _semi-sentient_ oracle cells. So you tell me, if you put one hundred idiots in a room with no rules, how much can go wrong?"

"..." Glynda stayed silent, unlike the Grimm which was a creature of unknown origin like Soma had clarified, Aragami was in a sense, manmade. They were tailored to destroy mankind since the only true predator to humans are themselves.

"Some of the bigger ones like the Ouroboros, are comprised of over tens of millions of oracle cells. They're some of the strongest Aragami out there, even teams of professional _hunters_ , as you would call them, are wiped out in seconds."

"So… if these Ouroboros are so strong, how come you're alive? Apologies for the bluntness, but you'd think something that powerful would have wiped out the population by itself." Glynda queried, making sure that no students were around to hear their conversation.

Soma grinned, "Because of Fenrir's 1st unit."

"1st unit…?"

"Yeah, a team of four consisting of these members: Vice Captain Sakuya Tachibana, Sniper Private Alisa Ilinichina Amiella, Assault Corporal Soma Schicksal, and Captain Mithgail."

"Hold on a second. I thought you and Mithgail were the leaders of Fenrir…"

"That's all others need to know as well," Soma whispered, glaring lightly at Glynda who nodded in reluctance.

"So, this 1st unit, is a compilation of the elites I assume?"

"In part, yes." Soma nodded.

"In part?"

"Vice Captain Tachibana is the number one sniper in the entire Far East Branch I, am the only God Eater that has an inhumanly high compatibility rate with something known as a God Arc. A weapon made from captured and controlled Oracle cells, the only thing that can do any worthwhile damage to the Aragami. If used right, it kills them."

Glynda nodded, watching the man in front of her with newfound respect "What of the Sniper Private and your Captain?"

Soma hesitated, trying to find the words before letting out a breath "To spare you another lecture, I'll say this. The two of them are the first of their kind, their God Arcs are a generation ahead of other God Eaters that couldn't reach a minimum of a 50% bond rate with what we call New-Type God Arcs. They're stronger and faster than old-types."

"I see, so if you take these _New-Type_ God Arcs away from them…"

"Not necessarily," Soma interjected, peeking up as he caught sight of the red and white duo from team RWBY leaving the forest across from them. "Alisa had some of the highest scores in terms of combat and sniping across all branches, beat only by veteran God Eaters. As for the Captain… well, let's just say he's a monster like me. Actually, more so."

"A monster…? What do you mean?"

"The old Captain of the 1st unit went behind our backs and took a hunting mission from the director of Fenrir himself. This mission was to go into the field without a team as to keep everything confidential, and eliminate an Ouroboros." Soma chuckled as he watched Glynda face morph into a glare. ' _Very different from back home, we would have been praised for such an act of bravery.'_ Shaking his head Soma continued, "Once he stepped down, and Mithgail took his place, he did the exact same thing."

"Their stupidity aside, I thought your unit as a whole was created just to combat these things. How could he do it alone?" Glynda asked, debating whether or not to lash out at Mithgail when next she saw him.

"Like I said, he's a monster. I've seen smaller Aragami instinctively run from him on the battlefield, almost as if they were faced with a natural predator. He came to us with no combat experience whatsoever, then within months he was doing things on his own that teams of veterans could only dream of doing together." Soma leaned his head back, staring at the sky.

"I have too many questions to ask you right now, so I'll end with this; How long did it take for the Aragami to overwhelm you?"

"Less than a year. I was born three years after the outbreak and everything was already gone, people were already starting to lick their wounds. That's enough for now if we're lucky enough to find a way home I'll try and put you in touch with a man named. He was one of the two scientists that spearheaded the original Oracle Cell project. He actually discovered the organism himself, so he will be able to answer far better than I can."

"You did fine. My only other question is more of a personal curiosity… do you mind?"

"Not at all," Soma shrugged "It's refreshing to talk to somebody that has some kind of understanding of topics other than fighting, clothes and food."

Glynda chuckled lightly before schooling her features back into neutrality, "When I saw that Aragami in your lands, everything seemed so otherworldly. I've had my suspicions, and to be honest I haven't wholeheartedly trusted everything Shio has said, so… are you from another world? Or just a distant land."

"Unfortunately, another world," Soma said solemnly, his words filled to the brim with longing. "One that seems to grow farther and farther away by the hour."

"So Shio wasn't exaggerating…" Glynda muttered, casting a pitying glance at the man beside her.

"Don't. I've survived worse, surprisingly. But yeah, Shio is usually pretty honest. You know about her right?"

"It was kinda hard not to figure it out." Glynda deadpanned, giving no thought to Soma's comment.

"Good, well I doubt she even knows how to lie. I'm surprised nobody in the student body figured it out."

"I wouldn't discredit her, Soma. That girl has grown at a terrifying pace since she arrived here. The Shio I know now is a completely different girl than the one that arrived here a few days ago." Glynda turned to look out into the forest. "She's been adapting the mannerisms and moods of those around her, making seemingly-identical versions of herself for different situations. I'm surprised she hasn't melted down yet… trying to process a bunch of fake versions of herself at once."

"..." Soma stayed silent hearing this, his concern for the young girl only growing more fierce by the moment. ' _Come on Captain, bring her back.'_

 _ **Northern Sector, Forever Fall.**_

Small branches whipped against Mithgail's face as he tore through the dense forest. He and Soma had split up not long ago when they reached the ship. ' _I wonder how he's handling Goodwitch. She seems the strict type, kinda like Tsubaki…'_ He mused as he jumped over a fallen log.

His eyes watered as the wind lashed out in an attempt to slow him down. He didn't. The bottom of his boots only started hitting the ground harder, his body quaking with each step. A feral Shio… the thought of his friend going homicidal made him grimace. ' _I cannot let her do something she'll regret down the line. I can't fail.'_

Movement caught his attention, and he skidded to a halt. ' _Team RWBY. I think that's what they were called.'_ He took cover behind a tree and peered around the corner watching the exchange between the four members. ' _It seems this Ruby is seeing Shio's shadow. That's definitely not good. Either the kids going insane_ or _Shio has started resonating with the forest life. Neither option is favourable.'_

His eyes widened, they were splitting up. ' _Ruby and… the white one seems to be going back to the ship. However…'_ His eyes shifted over to watch Blake and Yang, who was dead set on finding Shio.

Mithgail pushed off the tree and shook his head. "They should never split up. Not when they're at such a heavy disadvantage." He kept his distance and trailed the two girls deeper into the forest, growing more concerned the more they spoke. "Shio… what have you done? The blonde one just seems battle hungry but the dark-haired one… she's a lot more suspicious. If they get to her first…" He shook his head to kick the thoughts from his mind. "No. They won't." With a heavy step, he broke into a sprint.

Quickly passing the girls, he couldn't help but notice the heavy feeling that had settled into the bones of the forest. Turning his head, he saw Blake and Yang arguing in the distance until Blake ducked into a bush. "They're being chased?"

Realization dawned on him and his eyes widened "Grimm…" Turning to the girls, he watched Blake tackle, Yang, sending them down a steep hill. "Damn it!" Running parallel to them, he hopped down to a rocky platform below just across from the girls. He and Soma had passed this place during their hunt the night before, the end of that hill led nowhere. It was a brief stretch of flatland before an easy hundred foot drop into the water below.

"I've got to get to them somehow…" Looking around, he spotted an old tree that had toppled over with the bottom half sticking off the side of the cliff. Squeezing his eyes shut, he calmed himself. "Gotta hurry." He ran forward and jumped up grabbing a hold of an exposed root. Shimming up the root, he heard the dirt giving way and dug his feet into the stone against the wall below him before kicking up off the wall. His hands closed around the edge of the cliff before he pulled himself up.

Sparing a glance at the two girls he saw them impact a boulder before taking to the air. "Shit!" He shouted, sprinting for the fallen tree. It groaned and shifted under his sudden weight but he kept his balance and ran forward. Blake screamed something and soon after the girls flipped around. A flash of silver glinted before a blade lodged itself in the hard clay of the cliff. Mithgail watched as Blake and Yang swung down and impacted the cliff face, the force was enough that he heard the impact from his place above them.

"She's going to fall…!" As he reaches the edge of the tree, he kicked off and jumped towards the girls. Sure enough, Yang's hands slipped and she let out a terrified scream. ' _Too far… I won't make it like this…!'_ Sticking his arm out, he grit his teeth and summoned his Arc. Spinning his wrist, the Scythe turned into a sniper. ' _Please don't overshoot… that would suck.'_ Finding the trigger, Mithgail fired off a shot, the sound echoing off the cliff and shooting through the forest. Birds scattered to the skies from the sudden clap and his body shot down almost at almost thrice his original speed.

His arm screamed in pain but he ignored it and sent his Arc back into his bracelet. He was close now, and she saw him. "Hand! Give me your hand, Blondie!" Mithgail yelled, stretching his arm out.

The sound of water splashing against water filled the air, the scent of salt assaulting his senses. They couldn't have been more than twenty feet from the water.

"...!" Yang strained as she locked eyes with the man above her, desperately trying to grab ahold of his outstretched arm. She was going to die, but if she grabbed his arm… she wouldn't die alone. Gritting her teeth, Yang felt her fingertips brush against Mithgail's before his hand gripped her wrist seconds later.

Mithgail pulled the teen into his chest and spun around so his back was to the water. ' _This is going to hurt like a-'_ His words were cut off as his back hit the water "AGH!" He screamed out before the water dragged them both down into the lake.

' _Ruby! I'm sorry… I was a horrible big sister and I was a bit of a jerk sometimes and- huh…?'_ Opening her eyes, she felt the sting of water as she watched the blurry form of Mithgail swim back up to the surface.

"Huaaaa!" Mithgail gasped as his head broke the surface. ' _Of course… it couldn't have been a deeper part of the lake…'_ He cursed in his mind as he pulled Yang above water before tossing her onto the land across from them.

The blonde coughed up the water she had unknowingly swallowed, flipping onto her stomach so she didn't spit up on herself. The water splashed behind her as Mithgail dragged himself out of the water and laid with his face to the sky. "You… okay…?" He asked softly as he slowly pushed himself up, wincing as his arm pressed against the ground. ' _The infection got worse… shit.'_ Fighting through the pain, he sat up and glanced at the girl behind him.

In a flash Yang was on him, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you…! I thought I was dead for sure!" She choked out, burying her face into Mithgail wet jacket.

"Haha, it's fine. Don't mention it okay…?" Mithgail pat the girl on the back softly. "I'm not really good at the whole consoling thing… or this talking thing in general." Mithgail grimaced, making Yang chuckle softly.

"Doesn't matter." She shook her head before pulling away and sitting on the ground next to Mithgail. "Hey…"

"Hmm?" Glancing at Yang, Mithgail caught his breath.

"I think I've uhm… fallen for you."

"..." Staring at the girl, Mithgail furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, I'm outta practice I know." Chuckling, Yang shook her head. "I'm known for bad jokes and stupid puns and lately I've been too stressed to make any. I thought a near-death experience would've been as good a time as any to get back into it."

"..." Nodding, Mithgail stood up. "I thought I was supposed to catch angels, not fall with them."

"Ass." Yang hissed before standing up and brushing herself off.

Mithgail grinned, watching Blake lower herself onto a platform a few feet under her.

"YANG! ARE YOU ALIVE?!" Blake screamed as she stared down into the water below.

"Don't," Mithgail said shortly, looking at Yang who shrugged.

"NO! I DON'T THINK SO!"

There was a moment of silence before the next thing was said.

"NOT THE TIME. STAY WHERE YOU ARE, BE THERE SOON!"

After a bit of work, Blake had lowered herself to a platform close enough to the water that she could jump with little risk. Both Mithgail and Yang watched as she leapt off and sunk into the water before surfacing next to the land.

Yang rushed over and pulled her out from the water, helping her onto land. As Blake stood, she shot Yang a glare before pulling her partner into a hug. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine! I was caught by a passerby." Yang rubbed her partner's back, pointing towards the Captain standing awkwardly behind the two girls.

"Passerby? You're joking right?" Blake scoffed, her eyes locked in the grey-haired man off to the side." That was too convenient to be a _passerby._ "

"Well…" Thinking to herself, Yang nodded before she turned to the Captain, "She's right. Why were you so close by?"

"And, how did you survive that fall? Let alone how you caught up to Yang, that should've been impossible."

"Well, I guess we're all lucky." Mithgail smiled and turned away "Come on, we need to find Shio. No?"

"Don't just-" Blake cut in raising her hand in protest to Mithgails sudden disregard for questions.

"We need to find Shio. _Don't we?_ " The Captain glanced over his shoulder as he pressed forward. When neither girl voiced discontent he silently motioned for them to follow. "As of right now, you're no longer part of team RWBY. When you get back to Goodwitch, you will be reinstated. Now, my only rule is no questions."

"We're not just going to listen to some stranger. This is the second time I've ever seen you for more than a few seconds, how can I be expected to trust you with my life?"

Yang nodded as she watched her partner question Mithgail. "I have to agree with Blake. Can't we work as, y'know, equals?"

"No, I don't know enough about your individual skills to try and form a working team between us three. In the future, if we end up in this situation again, we will be equals. Fair?"

"We could just leave…"

"And Die."

Yang bit down a retort and just nodded in silence, glancing over at her partner who decided to take the initiative.

"It really sounds like you don't want to talk to us," Blake mumbled, even if she didn't like it, this man was somebody trusted by the professors. She'd play along for the time being.

"I don't want to talk to anybody really."

"But you talk with that other guy all the time!" Yang interjected, her finger raised up in front of Mithgail's face.

"That's because I like him." He spun on his heel and followed whatever beaten path he could find. The girls had fallen silent for the most part, save for the odd murmur between them.

' _Thank God. Between these two and my arm… I'd go insane. Who questions their saviour like that? Geez…'_ Mithgail glanced down at his arm, a portion of the flesh around the base of his hand had taken on a murky black shade. The veins were filled with what he deduced to be a kind of Oracle Poisoning. Peeking over his shoulder, he shrugged lightly ' _At least I can stop any conflict between Shio and them. That's a plus.'_

Mithgail settled his eyes back on the woods in front of him, thankful that the girls had sent Ruby back. He spotted versions of Shio being projected by parts of the forest all around him. It seems that Soma and his theory was right, whatever this sap did to her body it was making her act off of instinct with probably little to no control of her body.

 _ **Northern Sector, Forever Fall.**_

"I'm telling the truth, Weiss. I saw her, Shio was standing just in front of us." Ruby groaned, keeping a few paces ahead of her irritated teammate.

"I'm not saying you're lying on _purpose_. We've all been tense lately, maybe her running off like that was just the final crack in your glass. Everybody goes a little loopy when they're stressing." Weiss reached out and rested her pale hand on the of Ruby's cloak.

"I'm not hallucinating, Weiss!" Ruby snapped, spinning to face her partner. "Either I saw Shio, or I saw a ghost that looked like her! And frankly, ghosts scare me so I'm saying I saw Shio!"

Weiss chuckled slightly as she shrugged, "Guess we'll have to ask Shio herself when Yang and Blake find her."

"Do you really think they will find her? I mean, she's _really_ fast for somebody who doesn't have a semblance related to speed. If she tried, I doubt-"

"Enough! I'll have no more of this pessimism. You're fifteen, leave all the worrying to adults. Meanwhile, let's you and I go gather the sap for our group. I'd rather not get yelled at by in public." Weiss frowned, her fingernail bouncing off of Ruby's forehead with a soft click.

"But-" Ruby started, rubbing the small red patch above her eyebrows.

"But nothing! You're going to start stressing me out soon, and you know what stressing does to you right?"

"Makes white-haired people grumpy?"

Weiss grit her teeth and smiled before leaning next to Ruby's ear "Worse," she whispered, her nails running along her head from ear to ear above her eyes. "You'll get worry lines!"

"Worry… OH! These things?" Ruby tilted her head as he pressed the bottom of her finger against the space between Weiss' eyebrows and hairline. "Dad always told us those were laugh lines."

"Ruby…" Weiss hissed as her pale cheeks lit up like Christmas bulbs.

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Turn around and walk."

"Yes, Ma'am." Ruby nodded quickly and spun on her heel, smiling to herself as she walked away from the silent Weiss.

With a huff, Weiss followed Ruby. She brushed her thumb against her finger as she kept an eye on the forest around them. "Say, what's your Dad like?"

"Hmm? What was that?"

Weiss blushed faintly "I asked what your Dad was like."

"Oh, well he's fun. Not super strict or anything, brought us a cute little dog, y'know, Dad things." Ruby chuckled, glancing at her partner. "He really helped me out at Signal along with my Uncle."

"Oh? Your uncle?"

"Yeah, Uncle Qrow. Though I'm surprised he hasn't been fired yet."

"That's not nice, you're supposed to root for your family Ruby." Weiss chided.

"I'm not kidding! That day he showed up in our dorm room he was supposed to be teaching! I swear, he spends so much time _not_ teaching I can't even consider him a teacher." Ruby groaned, shaking her head. "I still love him though, he's pretty awesome."

' _Make up your mind…'_ Weiss thought to herself, frowning slightly until she bit her cheek. "Hey, mind if I ask you something else?"

"What's up?"

"Do you think, I could maybe… meet your dad? He just sounds like a nice guy, that's all."

"Meet my dad…? Weiss, are you asking me out?"

"NO!" Weiss yelled, her cheeks once again flushed "I-It's nothing like that, I just… I just don't really connect with my father. We butt heads a lot and he's super strict… I had to argue with him just to let me attend Beacon. It was like pulling teeth!"

Ruby stopped and turned to Weiss, watching with a silent smile.

"I just want to see what a fun Dad is like. You know, with all the dad jokes and puns, the embarrassing stories of childhood… I just never got that."

"Sure."

"Yeah, it's weird. I should- huh?"

"I said, Sure. I don't mind." Ruby smiled and clapped Weiss on the shoulder "Only because this super shy and open part of you is creeping me out. You're being too nice."

"Too nice?! Well, I'm sorry I'm not a bitch!"

"Hah! There's the Weiss I know, welcome home!" Ruby laughed before turning on her heel to stare at the ship they arrived on. They'd walked quite a long way without noticing.

"Tch… this is what I get for opening up…" Weiss grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest.

"It's my turn now, right? To ask you something I mean." Ruby spoke up, stopping just short of the entrance they ran through. Glynda and Soma noticed them, but they seemed to be enveloped in some sort of conversation.

Weiss opened her eyes wide and nodded "Sure, I don't mind I guess."

"When do you think our team will be happy again?" Her voice just above a whisper, Ruby turned to Weiss once more. Her silver eyes downcast as she spoke.

"What do you mean? Everybody has a bad day, Ruby."

"This isn't just a bad day. It's been growing and growing and growing, and nobody but me seems to notice." Ruby muttered, gripping her arm. "I mean, what was the last pun Yang made? When was the last time Blake spoke about something other than why Shio is y'know, Shio?"

"Ruby…"

"Even you! I know this sounds mean, especially since we've known each other for like three days, but you've gotten softer. I remember how much of a princess you were when I first met you, yelling at me for a mistake… but now? Everyone's changing so fast… so fast I can't keep up."

Weiss let out a heavy breath as Ruby spoke. She wasn't wrong in the slightest, the whole team was so different from when they first met. If it had been a few months it would have been understandable but over the span of a few days? It wasn't normal. She could understand why Ruby, who was still very much a child at heart, had trouble coping with the changes.

"Is this why you haven't been as cheery? You have been so subdued, especially around Yang and Blake. The only time you were close to yourself was when I met you and Shio for lunch yesterday."

Ruby flinched, nodding slowly "You noticed hey?"

"It was kinda hard to ignore, Ruby." Weiss chuckled, offering the younger girl a warm smile "Stop forcing yourself to grow up. Being the team leader, two years younger than everybody else? That's enough responsibility. Don't worry about how others are living okay?"

"That's easier said than done… one of those _others_ is my sister you know." Ruby grumbled

"Haa…" Weiss sighed, motioning to a tree beside them. "How about this-" Pressing the container she kept attached to a small pouch by her hip, she started filling it "You talk to me like this, in private, and we can deal then. Okay? Believe me, being the mean princess that yelled at you for a mistake, I know how to handle stress. Kinda."

Ruby smiled to herself as she uncapped her own container "Yeah, I can do that." Looking at Weiss, Ruby chuckled slightly. "It's almost like having two older sisters now."

"Please don't call me your older sister. I'd rather _not_ be related to Yang in any shape or form." Weiss shivered "Though, best friends doesn't sound too bad. I know I was against being normal friends and all, but I guess I changed a bit too."

"Best friends huh? I'm going to have to tell Zwei then…"

"Who's Zwei?" Weiss tilted her head, pulling her container away from the tree.

"My dog."

"Your… dog." Weiss repeated, squinting her eyes a bit.

"Yeah… I didn't talk to a lot of people in Signal outside of school. My only friends for real were Yang and Zwei, everybody else was just an acquaintance really."

"But Yang told me you were super popular?"

"Well, yeah. I was the fifteen-year-old going to a super prestigious academy halfway through her elementary years. Everybody wanted to know me but before that? Nah, I was usually alone with Crescent Rose."

Weiss frowned, staring at the sad girl who was, only seconds ago, Ruby Rose. She slipped her fingers into the syrup and flung it at Ruby making the girl yelp.

"H-Hey! What was that for?!"

"You're too young to be depressed. Look at me, seventeen and mostly alone, I'm not depressed." Weiss shrugged, turning back to the tree.

"Not depressed, but you sure are prissy," Ruby muttered, wiping the syrup off her cheek.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, bestie!" Ruby grinned as she too began filling her container. ' _That has a really nice ring to it… not gonna lie.'_

Weiss watched Ruby silently, twisting the cap onto her container. ' _I'm glad she's happier now… if Yang and Blake don't smarten up soon…'_ With a scoff, she rested the container down in the grass.

"So, you think we'll be fine?" Ruby whispered, glancing at Weiss.

"Yeah, everything will sort itself out."

Before either girl could continue, Ruby's scroll went off. The girl pulled it out and answered;

"Yang…? What's up?"

" _It's Shio! We found her, she's down near the waterfall. Tell !"_

"R-Really?! Is she okay?" Ruby shouted, holding the scroll against her ear

" _We don't know yet, Mithgail-"_

" _Captain!"_

" _Captain_ _Mithgail found her and made us wait. He said he wants his vice-captain here before we do anything."_

"A-Uh… sure! One second!" Ruby lowered her scroll and smiled at Weiss "They found her! Shio is with them!"

"Really…? That was fast. I thought she'd be further away." Weiss watched as Ruby ran over to Glynda and Soma who had since finished their conversation. Picking up her container, she ran after her partner.

"Blake and Yang found Shio. Apparently, the Captain is with them!"

"Calm down. You're saying that Shio has _already_ been found? I know this must sound horrible coming from a teacher, but isn't that a little fast?"

"You're right, that does sound horrible coming from a teacher." Soma quipped, eliciting a snort from the other end of the scroll.

"Hush." Glynda snapped before she took the scroll from Ruby. "Put the Captain on, I'd like to speak with him."

Glynda heard the exchange of hands before Mithgail spoke up. " _I assume you're looking for a report?"_

"Yes."

" _When I met up with the two stray members of team RWBY, we began our search for Shio as a single unit. We tracked her down to a small clearing a few hundred metres east of the waterfall. In all honestly Ma'am, I think she found us."_

"Have you spoken with her yet?"

" _No. I've asked the girls to keep their distance for the time being, so she wasn't scared off. I would love for my Vice-Captain to meet us down here ASAP. Alone. Is that possible?"_

"It is. Are you sure you don't want backup? I can have my attendant keep watch over the kids and accompany Soma."

" _You're fine. Just watch the students, please put Soma on."_

"Of course." Glynda nodded and handed Soma, Ruby's scroll.

"Cap? What's up."

" _We were right."_

"That's not good."

" _No shit. I have the two girls here on a tight leash for the times being, but they're getting jumpy. Get down here, Yang was saying something about a location sharing thingy… ah. Here."_

Ruby's scroll beeped and Soma glanced at the screen. "I see. I'll be there in five."

With that, Mithgail hung up. Pulling the scroll away, Soma handed it back to Ruby. "You two are going to stay here with Glynda."

"Hold on, she's our friend too!" Ruby snapped, tucking her scroll away.

"I don't care. You're staying." Turning to Glynda, Soma nodded.

"He's right." Motioning for the girls to move out of his way, Glynda stared at him "I expect an explanation later."

"You'll get one." Turning away, Soma ran off in the general direction the scroll had displayed for him.

"Ah-Wait! , we really can't go?" Ruby whined, worried about her friend. "I feel bad not being there…"

"Ruby, stop," Weiss said softly, grabbing Ruby's shoulder. The younger teen turned to look at her "Yang and Blake need to handle some things by themselves, remember?"

"..."

"We'll be with team JNPR ." Weiss shuffled Ruby away as she led her over to their neighbouring team. They were still gathering syrup when Ruby and Weiss dropped in.

"I don't like this, Weiss," Ruby whispered.

"Just deal for now, yeah? This needs to happen if the team is ever going to set itself straight."

"I guess… no. You're right." With a nod, Ruby smiled and walked over to the team of four in front of them.

' _You have plenty of friends Ruby. You just need somebody to show you'_ Weiss shook her head as she followed suit, adopting her usual 'prissy' attitude so no to draw any attention from the other four.

 _ **Lakeside Clearing, Forever Fall.**_

"Tell me again why we can't talk to her?"

"Because I said no." Mithgail frowned, staring at the blonde beside him.

"She's our friend."

"She's my friend too, but I'm not trying to talk to her."

"Pretty crappy friend."

"Say what you will, I'm not letting you go."

Yang huffed, her frown mirroring Blake Who was leaning up against a tree. Mithgail and the two girls had been walking in a peaceful silence when Blake had spotted Shio wandering out from a heavily overgrown area into what looked like a clearing.

Mithgail led the girls over to check everything out. After a short inspection, he had asked Yang to call her sister. He'd been in enough battles to reconcile when the hunters became the prey. This was on the brink of turning into one of those situations.

"Hmph." Yang spun away and wandered over to her partner.

"You're happy about this, aren't you?" Blake whispered, glancing sidelong at the man across from them. "The fact that I can't fight Shio."

"I'm not gonna say that it makes me unhappy… but I wanted to talk to her at least. Get some answers from her before fighting."

"There's your sisterly attitude if it was anybody else I'm sure you'd have rushed right in."

"Can't deny that." Yang chuckled, scratching the back of her neck nervously. "My attitude aside, once Soma gets here any chance we had of getting answers will vanish."

Blake grimaced, staring at the young girl in the clearing. "You don't have to remind me…" Blake bit down on her lip before shaking her head. "I have an idea, it will benefit us both."

"Oh? What might that be?" Yang smiled, moving closer to her friend.

"You said you wanted to see how strong these two were right?"

"Mhm, I did."

"And I want to see what Shio is hiding from me, from everybody." Blake continued, pushing off the tree.

"Yes…?"

"I'm going to run into the clearing to confront Shio, while you keep Mithgail off me."

"You want me to act as a decoy?" Yang questioned.

"In a way, yes." Blake nodded, "We have twenty minutes, maximum. If Soma knows where we are exactly? I'd say more like five if he's rushing."

"Which do you think is more likely?" Yang asked as she watched her partner make a slow advance towards the clearing.

"Five minutes." Blake looked over her shoulder, "You in…?"

"Just… try not to hurt her too much. Okay?"

Blake nodded slowly and turned her attention back to the girl. ' _If I'm right… The one to worry about is me.'_

"Hey, Captain? Mind if I ask you a question?"

' _Now.'_ Blake waited for Mithgail's response before she broke into a run for Shio.

"HEY!" Mithgail shouted as he started after her only to be blocked by Yang.

"Sorry Cap got a few more questions for you." Yang smiled, clenching her fists in front of her.

"Kid, this is over your head. Both of your heads."

"We're huntresses in training, I'm sure we can handle the truth here."

Mithgail grit his teeth, his eyes locking on the scene behind Yang. Blake had gotten Shio's attention with her approach, the younger girl staring at Blake with wide eyes. ' _Damn it…'_ He cursed before grabbing Yang's shoulder, pushing her out of the way as he ran for the two girls.

He was close enough that their conversation was clear.

"Shio," Blake called out sharply, prompting the younger girl to tilt her head slightly. "Who are you, actually? I don't want any more secrets."

"Se...crets?"

"Yeah. For one, what's up with your weapon? I saw it once during our spar and once in our dorm." Blake took a step closer, Shio took one back. "I want to know why, even though it's as strong as it is, you refuse to speak about it."

"..." Shio let out a low whine, wincing as she thought back to her early meetings with team RWBY.

"Why are you strong? So carefree, despite being even younger than Ruby yet still in high school. Why do you refuse to answer any questions about yourself? Brushing them off or changing the subject?"

From behind the two girls, Mithgail pushed his legs to the limit. Shio was acting the same way she was when she was drawn to Aegis Island. He heard the sound of footsteps fast approaching, turning just in time to avoid a punch from Yang. Once again she was in front of him. "I said- I have more questions."

Mithgail frowned if they fought he knew that he'd win. No matter how hard she hit, the oracle cells would absorb the impact. ' _My only concern is resonating with Shio… if my oracle cells go into overdrive and she reacts…'_ He shook his head, there was no way around it. "You want to fight me?"

Yang's eyes lit up at the opportunity, "I want nothing more."

Mithgail stayed silent, watching Shio and Blake. After a time, he nodded and brought his fists up mimicking the blondes stance. ' _Five minutes until Soma gets here. I just need to keep Shio from lashing out until then. Once he gets here, I'll make the girls leave so we can subdue Shio_ ' He glanced at his bracelet, this fight was going to have to be hand to hand. "Fine."

' _I need to keep my cells from activating though… that means I need to avoid getting hit.'_ He chuckled to himself, thinking back to all the lessons on evasion he… evaded. Once he learned to roll and deploy his shield he just took mission after mission.

"Y-You're serious?"

"I wouldn't have said yes otherwise."

Without warning, Yang shot forward and launched her fist out. The bottom of her gauntlet ripped through a few strands of Mithgail's hair as stepped out of her flight path.

Mithgail used his momentum to spin around, his leg taking to the air before bearing down on the small of Yang's back.

"Ugh..!" Yang grunted as she hit the ground, her knees smacking against the hard earth. Kicking off the ground, she rolled forward and stood up a few feet away from Mithgail. "That kind of hurt…" She chuckled, rubbing her back.

Mithgail stayed silent.

"Don't wanna talk? Fine, I can get behind silent kicking your ass!" She rushed forward once again, swinging her arm out only for her fist to meet his forearm. Gritting her teeth she jabbed forward, her knuckles crying out as they met the red metal of Mithgail's bracelet around his left wrist. Yang made a move to jump away, but as her feet left the ground she felt an iron grip lock around her ankle.

Mithgail spun around, his free hand locking around the calf above his other. Yang's eyes widened, her world spinning before the pressure left her leg and she shot off to the side, her already sore back crashing into a tree trunk.

Taking the initiative, Mithgail darted forward. He crossed the distance in no time, his leg smacking into the side of the tree with a brutal roundhouse kick.

Yang had just barely ducked out of the way of the kick before he was on her again. Barely upright, Yang had to bring her arms up in a sloppy attempt to guard herself. Three right jabs, each as heavy as the last, sent Yang skidding backwards in the grass. Her feet digging hopelessly into the now dug up ground. ' _Tch… he hits like a truck!'_ Yang hissed in her mind, ducking under yet another roundhouse.

The air above her head whistled like the wind in a thunderstorm. Her eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

Capitalizing on Yang's error, Mithgail drove his knee forward into her firearms sending the girl sprawling onto the grass behind her. "Nngh…" Yang groaned as her arms cried in protest when she pushed herself up. "I really can't afford to play here can I…?"

"You talk too much. Just shut up and fight."

Yang glared at Mithgail, before beating her fists together. Her eyes turned crimson, her entire aura spiking around her. "This ends, here!" Yang snapped, kicking off the ground towards Mithgail. As she shot towards him, she caught a glimpse of Blake from the corner of her eye.

"I see," Blake muttered, reaching behind her to grab her sword. "I'll just have to get answers from you this way." The blade sang as the steel katana cut against the sheath.

Shio stepped away once more before she smiled. Holding her hand out, she called forth Arius. The bleached white weapon seemed to suck in the shadows around it.

' _It feels different… I need to avoid it.'_ Blake lowered herself into a stance, her blade spinning around in her hand.

The two girls stood in silence, at length Shio shot forward. Arius scrapped along the ground before Shio slashed upwards, a spray of dirt taking to the air.

Jumping back, Blake swung her katana outwards before the weapon extended. Shio danced around the blade, shooting towards Blake once more.

Blake yanked her arm back making the blade spin around to lash out at Shio from behind. The younger girl flipped around mid-stride and swung Arius against the Katana, knocking it away with a loud clang.

Within seconds, Shio was above Blake giving the girl no time to think. The wind whistled around Arius as Shio cut through the air, her eyes locked on the skin between Blake's shoulder and head. As her feet touched the ground, the edge of Arius embedded itself in Blake's neck. Looking up, Shio smiled in triumph before Blake exploded into a cloud of dust.

Once again, Shio willed Arius to devour the dust, however, Blake was prepared, unlike last time. Shooting forward through the dust, the dark-haired fighter drove the hilt of Gambol Shroud into Shio's stomach.

Blake's eyes widened as her hand exploded in pain, the dust settled, revealing a small white hand gripping her wrist. The hilt just inches from making contact. Shio offered up a small smile before flexing her grip.

"Nnn-Gah!" Blake cried out as she felt her wrist twist around her idle hand. Reaching behind her with her free hand, Blake grabbed Gambol's sheath and swung it out in front of her.

Shio's head snapped to the side from the impact, releasing Blake's wrist before stumbling back a bit.

"Blake! Are you okay?! What happened?" Yang called out, pausing her fight with Mithgail to check up on her friend.

"I-I'm fine!" Blake lied, waving her friend off. "I got this…" Glancing down at her wrist, she couldn't help but grimace. The skin had turned a nasty purple, mottled with dull yellow spots as her aura began repairing the wound. A deep imprint of Shio's fingers wrapped around the bruise. ' _Without my aura… she'd of ripped it off.'_ Blake grit her teeth, carefully sliding Gambol back into its sheath. Her left hand was useless for the time being.

A shadow washed over her as she examined her injury. Having recovered, Shio crossed the small gap between her and Blake. Spinning around, she kicked off the ground and lashed out with her leg.

Blake ducked out of the way, wincing as she felt the wind tear at her hair before dropping to her knee. Once Shio touched the ground, Blake spun, sweeping the girl's legs out from under her.

"Oh?" Shio yelped as her back hit the ground. Looking up, she watched Blake use her sheath to steady herself. "Hmm…"

"You went a little far for a spar don't you think…?" Blake hissed as she glared down at the girl, her left hand hung limply by her hip. Shio stayed silent, just tilting her head to the side. "Answer me this," Blake lowered her voice to a whisper. "When we first met, you knew I was a Faunus. You even said you could relate in a way. How?"

Shio narrowed her eyes, her fingers dancing along the edge Arius' hilt.

Yang watched with a sense of concern, something didn't seem right and she wanted to help. But every time she made to run for Blake, Mithgail found a way to get in front of her. Just as he did now.

"I'm going to stop holding back now," Yang warned, her crimson eyes narrowed as she pulled her first back. Ember Celica clicked with the motion, bring a smile to the blondes face.

She shot forward, swinging out with a fake jab at Mithgail's core. The older man tucked himself in to protect himself only to click his tongue as he watched her left hand shoot out.

"This is the end!" Yang yelled, the canisters in Ember Celica shooting off. With added force, her fist crashed into Mithgail's jaw, making him pull back. Her eyes widened as she watched him rub his jaw. All that was left in the wake of her punch was a smudge of dirt from when he had thrown her earlier. She couldn't even hold that victory as she watched Mithgail wipe it off. "You're not fair."

"How so?"

Yang ground her teeth together before returning to her normal self. "Simple. You're probably not even in your late twenties yet you've got a great job. You're the captain of some secret organization apparently. You're strong as hell. What's fair about you?"

Mithgail chuckled, blushing slightly. "Come on now.."

"There is one flaw though…"

"Oh?"

"You let your guard down too easily!" Jumping into his guard, Yang cocked her fist back to punch him in the gut.

Acting on instinct, Mithgail drove his left fist into her ribs. Yang's fist stopped as it brushed against his jacket, her eyes wide with a scream stuck in her throat.

Mithgail cursed himself and he caught the falling teen. ' _That's exactly what I've been afraid of.'_ He thought as he helped her over to a tree to sit down. ' _My left arm… it hurts so much because it's no longer my arm. My body is rejecting what it suspects is a foreign entity.'_

"W-Were you holding back…?" Yang choked out, gripping her side as if it was falling away from her body. "None of your other punches… felt like that."

"Kind of." Mithgail lied, a look of shame washing over his face. "I didn't know how far I could push you, so I chose to play it safe."

"Nnn… don't tell anybody…" Yang whispered, biting her lip to ignore the throbbing pain from her cracked rib. "I'm glad… you did." Letting her head fall back, she stared up into the trees. "Stop Blake… she's going to-"

"AH!" Blake's scream caught Yang off guard, her eyes opening wide as she tried to get up and watch. Mithgail spun around and cursed under his breath as he watched.

Blake, who had once been standing over a downed Shio, was now hunched over against a tree.

Shio, on the other hand, was balancing Arius' point on the tip of her finger while watching Blake writhe against the tree. She had caught Blake off guard, driving her feet into the girl's stomach, winding her. Without missing a beat, she hopped onto her feet and spun, delivering a vicious roundhouse kick into Blake's gut.

Using her momentum, she spun Blake around 180 degrees on her leg before sending her hurtling into a tree back first.

"Shio! That's enough, you've won!" Mithgail yelled, but Shio paid him to mind. Instead, she threw Arius up and grabbed the hilt before launching herself towards Blake, with the point of her blade aimed for Blake's chest.

"Yang, nothing you see today can be repeated. Okay?" Mithgail whispered, his eyes locked on the white side of Arius. "Nothing."

"She's going to kill her! This isn't the time for secrets!" Yang screamed, pushing passed the idle Mithgail as she ran towards Blake, hindered by her injury.

Mithgail but down on his tongue as he held his hand out. For the second time today, his ruby scythe materialized in his hands. Holding the back of the curved edge in front of him, he willed the living weapon to transform. It compiled and altered its body turning into a long sniper, the scythe no longer in sight.

Holding his breath, he pulled the trigger.

A loud bang, one like a clap of thunder, echoed in the ears of those present in the clearing. A large, black bullet fired from the red barrel. Violently, it tore through the air as it followed a near perfect line.

Yang's body stopped, the sound freezing her in pace. A loud buzzing briefly occupied her ear as the bullet ripped through the veil of her blonde hair over her shoulder, nearing its target.

Shio grit her teeth, the sound was too familiar. Speeding up, she felt the tip of Arius press into Blake's stomach eliciting a cry of pain from the girl, her crimson blood running down Arius' edge. Before the blade could sink any deeper a heavy impact slammed into the face of Arius, knocking it from Shio's hand sending it to the ground with a clatter.

"I said that's enough, Shio," Mithgail growled, his sniper returning to its original Scythe form. Shio stared him down, standing still. "Yang, go get Blake. Get back to the Ship, both of you."

"I-Uh… yeah." Yang nodded dumbly, forcing her body to obey as she moved forward. Carefully approaching Shio, Yang grabbed Blake and hauled her to her feet. She couldn't help but shiver as she felt Shio's eyes on her, they carried no ill intent. In fact, they carried no intent at all. It was like she was watching a leaf in the passing wind, not really caring that she was there but taking notice out of pure coincidence.

Shaking the feeling off, she shook Blake out of her stupor. "We're leaving. Come on." Blake put up no resistance, her side still bleeding as she followed Yang out of the clearing.

"She still wouldn't answer me…" Blake whispered, her eyes clouding slightly. "I thought I could beat answers out of her… but I could barely make her speak. Let alone answer questions."

"Maybe that's for the best…" Yang replied, the sound of boots hitting the ground drawing her attention back to the clearing. "Blake… get behind the bush. Hurry." She hissed, ushering her partner into hiding before kneeling down to watch.

"Yang…?" Blake turned her head, lightly holding her wrist.

"How's your wrist? Broken?"

"No… it's just a really bad sprain. I think she tore a lot of the ligaments. It looks worse than it is." Blake assured, holding her hand up in front of her. "If I didn't have my aura though… it would've been worse than a break."

Yang nodded, settling her concerns over Blake. Turning her attention back to the clearing, she watched Soma brush some of the leaves off his jacket.

"Where'd the girls go…?"

"I sent them back to the ship. Whether they listened or not is up to them." Mithgail replied, his hand tensing around the shaft of his scythe. "That's not the concern now, as I said over the call; You were right."

"How do you know…? She could be hyper." Soma muttered as he took his spot beside Mithgail.

"She tried to gore her friend after nearly shattering her wrist." Mithgail recounted, watching intently as Shio walked over to the discarded Arius. "She's as close to feral as she can get."

Soma scowled as he watched Shio flaunt her weapon. "So what's the plan…?"

"Simple. Incapacitate and apprehend." Mithgail frowned, shifting in place. "Same as any hostile-extraction mission."

"Yeah, but those hostiles' are humans. Not to mention," Soma started, glancing down at Mithgail's arm. "Your arm isn't usually in the condition it is now."

"Are you telling me to fight without my Arc? Against Shio?"

"No, I'm telling you not to fight. Leave this to me." Soma pressed his hand against Mithgail's chest, forcing him to step back. "Go watch over the girls behind us."

Yang flinched as she felt Soma's glare.

"I'm going to kill them," Mithgail muttered as she spared Shio a glance, before sending his Arc back into the bracelet. "Don't die." Soma held his tongue while materializing his own Arc, the heavy buster sword settling into his grip. Turning away, Mithgail stalked over to the bushes and crouched down in front of them. "Listen to me, I'm going to reiterate what I said earlier; Nothing is said of what goes on here. If you girls agree to that, I'll cover up your injuries." It was a lie, but he needed them gone.

Standing up, he walked around to find the girls sitting patiently. "Deal," Yang spoke up, resulting in Mithgail sitting down next to them gripping his arm.

"Shio," Soma called out after making sure that the area was clear.

"So-Ma." Shio grinned, holding Arius behind her back as if she was carrying a cane.

"Why? You had a good thing going here, stuff we couldn't offer you back home. What led you to ruin it?"

Shio stayed silent. Losing her grin, she swung her blade out, pointing it at Soma.

"I see the issue." Soma nodded, brandishing his buster sword. "In this case, I suppose the best course of action is to beat you back into yourself."

"I am myself," Shio whispered, kicking off the ground as she took to the air. "See?"

Soma's eyes widened as he brought his Arc up to block Shio's swing. The ground under him indented as the force of the strike coursed through his body.

"Same old Shio." Spinning his head to the side, he caught sight of a flash of light before his cheek was ripped open. Leaping back, the Shio on top of him fell to the ground before dissipating into a cloud of ash.

Swallowing his nerves, Soma licked at his cheek. The metallic taste of his blood sent shivers through him as it poured over his tongue. The cut wasn't deep, but it was large. ' _It's not healing… I guess this is what our Arcs do to Aragami.'_ Clenching his jaw, he felt the warm liquid rolling off his chin as it dripped onto the grass. ' _My Injury aside… how did she do that?'_

As if sensing a moment of chance, Shio closed the distance between her and Soma. Spinning Arius in her hands, Shio slashed upwards.

Soma snapped out of his inner musings and pulled his blade down so Arius scrapped along the face. Pushing back against Shio's attack, he tilted his Arc before lunging forward knocking Shio off balance.

Bringing his Arc back, Soma slammed the edge of his buster blade into Shio's waist sending her skidding to the side. Refusing to let up, he stepped forward and swung down in a vicious Arc managing to brush against Shio's shoulder ripping the fabric of her uniform open as the blade sliced through her cells.

Leaping back, Shio looked down at her shoulder. "Nnn…" She let out a low whimper as blood seeped out of her wound, staining the white top of her uniform. Turning her eyes back to Soma, she glared at him. Her lips pulled back into a snarl as she dug her nails into the palm of her hand.

Sensing an attack, Soma put his left leg behind him as braced himself. Shio crashed into him soon after, the teeth of their Arcs grinding against one another. Sparks shot out from the two arcs as they fought for dominance, the bleached buster slowly being overpowered by the white blade. Suddenly, the force pushing down on him lessened.

Stumbling forward, Soma swirled his body to the side as Shio jabbed at him. Watching the blow soar passed him, Soma couldn't help but gasp in shock as he felt Arius bury itself in his abdomen. "G-Guh…!" Taking one hand off the handle of his buster blade, he moved to pull the blade out from his stomach.

"Soma, don't!" Mithgail yelled from the sidelines, making Soma freeze. He turned his head to his captain from his spot on the ground, Shio standing over him. "It's the same as our Arcs, do _not_ touch it!"

Soma groaned before pulling his knees to his chest. Fighting through the pain, he drove his feet into Shio's chest.

"AH!" Shio yelped as he body was flung off of Soma, Arius in tow.

The older man stood up, gripping his side to stem the blood that rushed against his palm. "Captain…"

"We're not healing…" Mithgail finished Soma's sentence as Shio scrambled back to her feet.

Yang and Blake glanced at the two men, a look of confusion washing over their faces. "You mean… your aura isn't working?"

Mithgail looked over his shoulder, flinching as he heard the sound of Arc on Arc once more. "My what?"

"Your… aura." Blake repeated, holding her hand up to show him. "It usually heals injuries like this, see?" Sure enough, her purple and yellow and wrist had definitely gone down in swelling. "It's not perfect, but it helps."

"Hmm…"

"Okay, I get you two are being calm for some reason, but your friend just got ran through. That's not normal." Yang interjected, reaching up to grab Mithgail's sleeve. "Are you really going to let him fight with an injury like that? I may not like him but I don't want him to die."

"..."

"Great. He's gone silent again." Yang huffed, slowly pushing herself up. "You stay here and watch Blake, I'm going to go help him."

Mithgail's eyes widened, turning to look at the blonde as she slowly walked through the bush. "Just… stay out of his way." His voice was low as he permitted Yang to fight, she scoffed before running to join up with Soma.

"Yang!" Blake called out as she watched her partner walk out to fight the girl that had almost killed her not long ago. "Stop her, she can't do anything!"

"It's better to fight Shio alone, yes, however, Soma is injured and I'm unable to fight. You already lost to her, and she is showing little signs of struggling against Soma." Mithgail sighed, watching as Yang stopped next to Soma. "She's the only chance right now, even if it is as bait."

Blake had to stop herself from blurting out what she thought. She knew he was right, and reluctantly watched on with him.

"Soma!" Yang called out as she stood behind him, "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you… to sit down." He hissed as he watched Shio brush the dirt out of her wound. It was healing faster than he was, which wasn't hard to accomplish.

"No, I'm helping. Blake might've lost, but I'm stronger." Yang assured, clapping her forearm confidently. There was only a small pang of pain from her ribs, her aura was doing its job to suppress the amount of pain she felt.

"I watched you lose to the Captain, Shio is stronger."

"Ah…" Yang hesitated before eying the girl. "Screw it." Running ahead of him, Yang activated her semblance. "Attack when you get the chance!"

"Yang!" Soma yelled as the blonde stopped a foot away from Shio, her fist moving with the momentum as it buried itself in her stomach, the canisters going off in Ember to add force to the punch.

Shio shifted back slightly, a look of surprise crossing her irritated face before she moved to return the strike but with Arius. Shio didn't get the chance as she was enveloped in a shadow from behind.

Soma had discarded his Arc in place for speed, it was a risk. If he was a second too slow, Yang could be killed. Running forward, he reached into his coat pocket and smiled. The serum that he and Sakaki had invented was still on him, all he needed was to catch Shio when she was focused on Yang. He took a long way, letting go of his side as she came around to Shio's back. Slowly approaching, he waited for Shio to start her attack before pulling the syringe out. The point on the end pierced Shio's arm as he pushed down on the back.

Eyes widening in shock, Shio spun around only to feel a sharp pinch in her arm. Her eyes travelled down Soma's arm before they caught sight of a syringe with a green liquid cased in it, slowly draining into her arm. She pushed away from him, ripping the syringe from her arm as her pupil grew and shrank, her vision blurring on the edges. "S...Soma…" she whispered before falling back, her head smacking against the ground as the rest of her vision became blurry until she saw nothing but darkness.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

 _ **Academy Ship, Forever Fall.**_

"It's not too bad. Your aura handled most of the healing while you made your way back here." Glynda examined Blake's wrist, scowling lightly. "You're lucky, this could have been a serious break."

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble." Blake hung her head low as she took Glynda's words to heart.

"Don't think you're better off." Without looking, Glynda made Yang flinch. "Your ribs are okay for the time being. Any more damage to them during your little _spar_ and it would have broken. You should both be thankful to be blessed with such strong aura." Glynda chastised the girls, a low mumble sounding off before they nodded.

Turning around, the professor stalked off to find Mithgail and Soma.

"Thinking back… I think she answered me." Blake whispered as she stared at the young girl that was currently comatose on in the grass next to Mithgail and Soma. "The way that she fought, I think that was her way of saying _No._ "

"No to what?" Yang asked, her lilac eyes casting a tired stare at Blake.

"My question, I asked if she was hu…" Blake hesitated. ' _She kept mine secret…'_ Biting her lip, she shook her head "Normal. I asked if she was normal."

"Did you? Hmm… maybe you're right." Yang nodded, choosing to ignore that slip of the tongue.

"What about you? Did you settle your power struggle with the Captain?"

"I'd hardly call it a struggle… he's on a whole other level. I mean, speed wise? He's not too scary. He's just trained to react I guess." Yang sighed leaning forward. "It's just… even with my semblance, I couldn't even hurt him. I only _moved_ him when I punched him with my semblance. Ember did almost nothing for me in the fight."

Blake listened silently, she understood her partner's feelings all too well.

"Then he goes on the offensive. Let me tell you, never in my life have I felt that a fight would be my last as strongly as I did earlier." Yang gripped her side as she thought back. "He punched me five times Blake. One to knock me down, three to wind me, and the last one? Well, he had to help me to a tree to relax until my healing kicked in." She chuckled darkly, her fingers digging into her shirt.

"Shio was the same, though she was a lot more offensive."

"Soma was strong too… he got run through and still managed to take Shio down. Even if it _was_ with some kind of drug." Yang leaned back.

"Mhmm…" Blake nodded before squinting her eyes "That Fall should have killed you two. Mithgail, I mean. Don't get me wrong, I happy you're alive, but that was over a hundred feet of downward momentum. Even with aura, the shock to the body should have been the end of it."

"Maybe he has a really strong aura?"

Blake stayed silent, her eyes locked in the two men sitting on a small stump away from the ship. Before she could say anything, further, Ruby, Weiss and team JNPR rushed into the ship to check up on them.

Through the exclamations of concern and elation, Blake watched Glynda walk up to the two men on the sidelines of their little camp. Her Faunus ears managed to pick up their conversation fairly easily over the banter of her friends.

"Explain yourselves." Glynda hissed as she stormed across the field. "You go out to find Shio, telling me it should only take ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Next thing I know, it's been over an hour and you two wander back here with an unconscious, and apparently _drugged_ Shio and two injured students."

"..."

"Captain, this is one of those moments when not talking is the bad thing to do," Soma muttered, knowing that Glynda wanted answers from his Captain. Not him.

"He's right. Talk."

"How much does she actually know?"

"Enough," Soma nodded "She's aware that Shio isn't human."

"Haa… Okay!" Smacking his knees, Mithgail hopped up. "Soma's theory is that there's something inside the sap of these trees that agitate Grimm not local to the area. We ran along a few passerby as we were doing our initial clean. They were far more vicious than the Grimm native to this forest." Pointing to Shio, "That's where her running off comes into play. Her _inhuman_ instincts went into overdrive once the pheromones on the air entered her system."

"That's also why Shio was so hostile. She was no better than a wild animal with the capability of talking, though she chose not to speak most of the time." Soma interjected, letting Mithgail catch his breath.

"That doesn't explain why she is unconscious. Long told me that she was injected with something, is this true?" Glynda pressed, making sure there were no students nearby as they spoke.

"Completely." Soma nodded, pulling out the now empty syringe.

"So you did drug her, what kind of sedative did you use? Is it dangerous?"

"It's fatal to humans, well humans that aren't like the Captain and me. For Shio, think of it as an entire bottle of sleeping medicine being drunk at once. It's strong enough to calm her down and knock her out in almost instantly, putting her in that state long enough for us to extract her to somewhere safer for her to be."

Glynda closed her eyes "I see." She let out an exhausted sigh before looking up at Mithgail. "Now, explain the injuries that my other students sustained."

Mithgail flinched, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, for Blake; She tried fighting Shio despite my warnings not to. Shio got a hold of her wrist and, well you saw the outcome." Glynda nodded, motioning for him to continue "As for Yang, she kinda got in my way when I was going after Blake to stop her. It just spiralled out of control from there…"

"Spiraled out of control?" Glynda asked, her voice curious.

"She fought me, and I hit back. Think of it as a spar." Mithgail shrugged "No serious harm done."

Soma recoiled as Glynda's hand crashed into Mithgail's face. "You almost broke her rib, Thad pretty _serious_ if you ask me." She hissed, her eyes furious "The next time you touch my students, I'll make you wish you'd never stumbled into remnant." With that, she turned and left.

"You have not had a good week, have you Captain?" Soma frowned as she wandered over to Shio.

"Bite me." Mithgail pressed his tongue against the inside of his bottom lip. His cheeks burned in embarrassment, the slap didn't hurt physically but the blow to his pride? That was hefty.

"I'd rather not." Soma lifted Shio into his arms before turning back his Captain. "So, do you think she'll be our Shio again when she wakes up?"

"Our Shio?"

"Yeah, the Shio of the Far East. Not one of the versions here…" Soma frowned, clutching her body closer to him.

"No. Our Shio is gone, she was gone when the director absorbed her. This girl? She's almost like a more perfected copy. She learns and grows, feels emotions the same way we humans do. From what I've heard, this Shio can even adapt to situations instead of acting like a child all the time." Mithgail smiled sadly "That's probably what led to this breakdown. Her mind was probably under so much stress, having to maintain and nurture so many different versions of herself in her body at once. The sap was just the last nail in her coffin. I wouldn't be surprised if she went through at least one break down this week."

"Remind me to scold her for that when she wakes up…" Soma grumbled as he wandered back to the ship on the other end of the clearing. He and Mithgail were taking Shio back with them so she could go straight to the nurse instead of having to wait until the group was dismissed.

"Speaking of waking up… that Syringe reminded me of our oracle supplements."

"You mean the ones you-"

"We."

" _We_ forgot to bring on that Mission? It's similar." Soma nodded before he sighed "Sakaki and I manufactured that one dose the day before we left. It was supposed to help stem the of Oracle poisoning until a God Eater managed to return to base for professional treatment."

"You mean…"

"Yeah. It was the one thing that could have helped your arm here." There was a hint of guilt in Soma's voice as he confirmed Mithgail's suspicions. "In my defence, it was never tested on humans. It could have killed you."

"I'm not mad." Mithgail chuckled as he settled into the seat of their ship. "This;" Holding up his arm, he pulled the sleeve of his jacket back. "Is the product of my own stupidity. Especially today, I called him out twice in the span of an hour."

"So those were your gunshots." Soma groaned while setting Shio down. "I don't feel as bad now. In fact, I'm half tempted to amputate it myself."

"Haha, when did you get so funny," Mithgail said sarcastically as the ship lurched.

"Around the same time you got so serious." Soma quipped, smiling slightly. "I guess we've both grown on one another hey Rookie?"

"Mhm, guess so." Mithgail nodded "Don't call me rookie though, it sounds weird considering everything." Looking away, Mithgail smiled "I won't tell the girls that you have a lighthearted side, it'll ruin their fantasies of your brooding form trying to romance them."

"I won't tell Alisa that you can be moody then, it'll ruin her perfect image of you." Soma retorted as he held Shio steady on the bench.

"Why single her out?"

"Hah… I really do pity her." Soma shook his head, muttering under his breath. "No reason, just forget it."

Mithgail shrugged as he tore his eyes away from Soma. ' _His wound is still open... if we don't make it back fast I'm afraid he'll die of blood loss.'_ His mind clouded with concern, Mithgail idly watched the ship below them as the students gathered around handing in their containers. ' _I feel like, things are going to get rather stressful soon.'_

* * *

 _ **As always, leave a review and see you next chapter!**_


	9. Resonance

_**Welcome to Chapter nine! I hope you all enjoy, I will be discussing a few things in the bottom A/N. See you there**_

* * *

 _ **Ozpin's Office, Beacon.**_

"I can't believe they made me strip…" Soma grumbled as he sat patiently on the edge of Ozpin's desk. His jacket and shirt were hung over the back of the chair across from him.

Upon arrival the day before, Soma and Mithgail were met by a seemingly irritated Ozpin. He took Shio off their hands in the main infirmary and asked that they wait for him in his office. On their way there, one of the medical staff saw his injuries and dragged him into her office. He was sterilized, bandaged and sent off. Soma had to loose a chuckle as he remembered the flushed face of the frustrated nurse as her suture kept breaking off his stomach. He was quickly silenced with a splash of peroxide that made him hiss, the cold liquid disinfecting his wound.

"How did you expect to get bandaged while dressed."

"I didn't." Soma shrugged, glancing down at the white gauze wrapped around his shoulder and waist. "I've never had to get bandaged before, I was born with the Bias Factor remember?"

"Ahh yes." Mithgail nodded, leaning back in his chair "The original human-monster."

"You make it sound like there's more than one." Soma raised a brow, looking at his Captain amusedly.

"Well, yeah." Mithgail declared as if the answer was obvious "I'm here."

Soma shook his head, a small smile on his face as he watched his Captain. "You know…"

"Hmm?"

"I think you should stay off the battlefield for the time being," Soma suggested, his words sharp yet meaningful.

"Haha, ahh.. there's your newfound sense of humour." Mithgail forced himself to chuckle, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The loud metallic ringing that sounded when the teeth in the gears overhead strung together silenced the two men.

"I'm not joking." Soma narrowed his eyes, peering at his captain through the slits of his eyelids. "Time and time again, even though it's killing you, you summon your Arc. The bracelet can't contain the infection anymore, surely you've noticed."

"Of course I noticed. It's my arm after all." Mithgail quipped, holding the arm in question up in the air as if he was waving at Soma. "My arm is fine, see?"

Soma remained silent, watching the limb shake back and forth like the arm of a metronome. Standing up, his boots beat against the cold foot before he grabbed Mithgail's forearm. A faint glimmer of pain echoed across Mithgail's turquoise eyes, just long enough for Soma to see it. "Is this your attempt at reconciliation?" He hissed, the tips of his fingers making the leather of Mithgail's jacket stretch under them.

"Reconciliation? For what?"

"Letting Lindow down." Soma's words were hollow, cold and heavy. His eyes burned into Mithgail's as they glared at one another.

With a jolt, Mithgail tore his arm away from Soma. Standing up, he pushed passed his friend and approached the large window behind Ozpin's desk. A gloved hand pressed flush against the thick glass as he stared down at the students. "No. I can never reconcile for that. If anything, this," Mithgail pulled back on his jacket, dragging the white sleeve of his shirt up with it. His arm now fully visible from the elbow down, he turned around. "Is a promise to myself. A promise that I'll never let anybody else die as a result of my actions."

Soma's pupils widened as he took in the state of his Captains arm. The veins were filled to the brim with some kind of black substance, every one of them pulsing in sickening unison. The once white limb had taken on a grey shade in spots, almost as if Mithgail had forgotten to wash it. "You're being unreasonable, Captain," Soma muttered through his grit teeth, fists trembling by his side. "It's bad enough you keep doing this to yourself, but you're trying to _justify_ it now?" He strained to hear if anybody was approaching the room, there was nobody.

"You're hardly the person to be lecturing me about being _unreasonable._ " Mithgail lowered his voice to a rumbling growl "Shall we discuss how many years you hunted _solo?_ How many God Eaters were forced to fight with recruits like themselves because _you_ were too afraid of letting people die?"

"This isn't about that, this is about you killing yourself!" Soma snapped, the tensions from their talk on the field resurfacing.

"Exactly, I'm killing _myself_." Mithgail frowned, stepping away from the window. "It's better that I die in the place of somebody who has something to live for besides wasting time hunting."

"Has the infection gotten to your brain? Think about what you just said!" Soma all but roared, his ally and friend discarding everything they experienced together as little more than a waste of time. He didn't know if he was angry because of the coldness that had seeped into his leader's voice or because, on some level, he agreed with him.

"You're showing more emotion than usual, Soma. This would be entertaining if you weren't yelling at me."

"Don't you dare change the subject," Soma warned. "How can you look at everything as a waste of time? The allies you've made, the lives you've changed, the lives you've _saved._ Are they all really worthless to you?"

"I never said they were worthless. I said I had nothing to live for besides hunting, don't put words in my mouth Soma." Mithgail growled, glaring up at the older man.

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, bullshit." Soma shook his head. "You have Shio, Kota, Sakuya, Myself, everybody back at the base. Live for _them!"_

"You all seemed to be handling yourselves just fine before I arrived, as for Shio? She's more attached to you than me."

Soma bristled at that, forcing his trembling fist to stay itself. "Fine… what about Alisa then?"

Mithgail hesitated, his eyes shifting to stare at something uninteresting in the far corner of the room.

"I said, What about _Alisa?"_ Soma repeated, the ticking of Ozpin's clock starting to drive him insane. "Is she not worth living for?"

"I told you two days ago, we're soldiers." Mithgail's voice was hollow, but on some level, Soma knew he believed what he had said.

"And I told you that you're still teenagers! Your sixteenth was only a few weeks ago!" Soma shouted, reaching out to grab Mithgail's jacket before dragging him closer. "And like a foolish teenager, you're blind to the truth."

Mithgail smacked Soma's hands off him, glaring furiously at him. "I am _not_ blind to it."

"Oh? So you just ignore it?" Soma knew what kind of effect his statement would have before he said it, he didn't stop himself. The man before him was not his Captain, not the man that he had grown to respect. Something was wrong, and it was only getting worse as the days went by. "You seem to have a tendency of ignoring things."

"Watch it, Schicksal."

"She _loves_ you _,_ Captain. She loves you so much it's painful to watch." Soma turned away, moving to a chair nearby before sitting down. "If you can't live to fight for a broken girl, one that's relying on you? One that loves you? Maybe you're right, you have nothing to live for, only because you're not alive."

With that Soma fell silent, signalling the end of their argument. He hadn't forsaken Mithgail, but he left the teen with a warning. A warning that he may very well forsake him if he continued down this path.

Clenching his jaw, Mithgail leaned forward as he braced himself on the heavy oak desk. The wood straining under the force of his grip. ' _I'm sorry, Soma… I just... I can't be your Captain right now.'_ He stared listlessly at the desk, his eyes clouding over. ' _There's too much I need to sort out, and you keep getting dragged into it.'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

 _ **Team RWBY Dorm, Beacon.**_

A stressful evening had given way to a morning that bore nothing but the still sore wounds of the previous day. The sorest of which could be found in the dorm of team RWBY, between three girls.

"I can't believe you two!" Shrieked the white-haired heiress. "Getting in a fight with Shio _and_ the Captain?! Are you insane?"

"You don't need to yell Weiss, we're right here," Blake grumbled as she glanced at her teammate, holding her wrist carefully. The doctor said that her aura would heal the tears perfectly, she just had to be cautious. As of now, her wrist had taken on the normal shade of her skin leaving only a slight tenderness as a reminder of her loss.

"Oh? Don't I? There seems to be a distinct lack of _unity_ in our team. If I can even call us that," Weiss hissed, glaring at Yang and Blake. "It seems like the only ones concerned about this team are Ruby and myself!"

"Hey, that's not fair! You hated Ruby when you first met her!" Yang snapped, all but jumping to her feet.

"Yes, however, we've made up and grown close. Whereas Blake and yourself have only put a wedge between us all." Weiss glowered at the blonde, who opened her mouth as if to speak only to get cut off. "You worried Ruby sick. Do you have any idea how happy she was when she heard you all found Shio? and myself had to talk her out of running to meet you to see her." Weiss withheld Ruby's concerns about Yang. They weren't hers to reveal. "She trusted Blake and yourself to bring Shio back safely, and you bring her back unconscious. She almost cried when she saw the state of your wrist Blake."

The two other girls stayed silent throughout the duration of Weiss' rant. Only when she took her last breath before sitting down did Yang speak up. "It sounds like you're angrier with us for worrying Ruby than a lack of teamwork."

"Ruby _is_ the team, Yang. I've forced myself to accept that fact, to accept that a fifteen-year-old can be our leader. However, over the time we've been together, she has been the one to stop our arguments and fights. She has kept us in line, until now." The last two words made both Blake and Yang flinch. "Your little side mission almost ripped Ruby apart. She didn't know what was going on, she was so confused." Weiss lowered her voice as she spoke "And a confused team leader means the team is confused. That means there isn't a _team."_

Blake and Yang stared silently at Weiss, neither of them feeling anything other than guilt. She wasn't wrong, they just weren't expecting the ice queen to care so much about their little leader.

"If you're feeling that guilty, go apologize. She's waiting in the nurse's office next to Shio's bed." With that Weiss turned away from the two girls and grabbed her bag. "I'll tell Port why you're missing class." The door slammed shut behind her, the room shaking slightly.

"I think we pissed her off…" Yang muttered as she sat on a small, crème coloured chair next to Blake's bed. The dark haired teen shot a look at Yang, eliciting a low chuckle from her. "I mean, we were being stupid."

"We?" Blake questioned, resting on her left elbow as she pushed her body up. "I'm the one that fought Ruby's best friend."

"I'm the one that let you."

The two girls shared a look before simultaneously getting up. Dressed in the same clothes from their trip, they silently left the room and headed for the nurse's office in the main building.

 _ **Medical Room, Beacon.**_

"..." Ruby let out a sigh, her head resting on the edge of the too-white hospital bed.

Shio hadn't moved all night, neither had Ruby. Once they landed, Ruby immediately excused herself and ran off the ship. After seeing the injuries on Soma, she knew that Shio would be in the infirmary with them all. She was right.

Ozpin had let her stay, though she couldn't help shrinking away under the tense atmosphere between Mithgail, Soma and her headmaster. Instead of making a fool of herself by trying to lighten the mood, she just squeezed between the three and pulled a seat next to her comatose friend.

She honestly found it hard to breathe until the three men left, the force of their united three-way glare was enough to make her uneasy. What's worse, was how neither Soma or Mithgail backed down from Ozpin's glare. It was the first time she'd ever seen anything but a blank stare on his face and she wanted to run.

"Ughhh! Wake up, Shio!" Ruby exclaimed as she pushed herself away from the bed, the legs of her chair screeching against the tile floor. "Nnn… my butt hurts…" She muttered to herself, standing up for the first time in nine hours. Wandering around a bit, she listlessly stared out the window at the students rushing to class.

Suddenly, the door to the room slid open. Ruby's head spun as if it was on a swivel, her eyes widening as she saw Blake and her Sister walk into the room. Her tired eyes were flooded with a worried excitement as she rushed over to them.

"Hey, Ruby."

"Hi, Sis."

Blake and Yang both greeted the young girl quietly, neither of them even glancing at the bed where Shio lay. "A-Are you two alright? How are your injuries?" Ruby asked, her eyes darting between Blake's wrist and Yang's ribs.

The two girls nodded, trying to hide their smiles as Ruby's body sank while her stress flooded from her. "I was worried… I'm glad you two are okay…"

Blake nodded at Yang, her eyes flicking towards Shio before settling on Ruby. The blonde got the hint, returning the nod. "Yeah… uhm, Ruby see…"

"What's up?" Ruby asked, her head tilting to the side as she looked up at her sister. Her messy hair fell across her features, obscuring one of her silver eyes.

Yang bit down on her lip, the tender flesh creasing under her teeth as she pulled it back before forcing a smile. "Blake and I, we uh, we want to say sorry for how we acted during the trip yesterday."

"How you acted…?" Confused, Ruby scrunched her brows together in thought before glancing over her shoulder. "Oh," Frowning slightly, Ruby shook her head. "Don't worry about it! Professor Ozpin said that you guys were just defending yourselves. I'm not upset or anything! I'm totally okay!"

"You sure…? You're looking pretty drowsy there." Yang smiled, reaching out to rest her hand on Ruby's shoulder

"I'm fine, just stayed up all night." Looking up, Ruby flashed a tired grin before turning back to Shio. "She hasn't woken up since she arrived… I'm getting worried."

' _Getting worried…?'_

Yang and Blake shared the thought as they watched the tired girl cover the yawn that forced itself out of her mouth. "Hey, maybe you should head-"

The door opened just as Blake started to voice her concerns. All three girls turned around to see Glynda standing impatiently at the entrance to the room.

" -witch?" Yang mentally kicked herself for the slip of the tongue, shrinking away under the glare that Glynda gave her.

" Ms Rose, Ms Xiao Long, please follow me." She pushed her glasses up with her finger after the look of hesitation washed over Yang and Ruby. "Qrow has been hospitalized, I wanted to make sure Shio was attended to before getting you, now we're late. Let's go."

The two sisters shared a look of shock, their eyes wide before nodding. Glynda left the room and Yang followed after her. "Tell Weiss where we are!"

Blake nodded in understanding, shifting her eyes to the motionless Ruby. "You should get going, I'll watch over Shio."

"T-Thanks!" Ruby pushed her concerns to the back of her mind before she shot out of the room, her heart threatening to rip from her chest. ' _Uncle Qrow!'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

 _ **Qrow's room, Vale Hospital.**_

"You brought them?"

"You expected me not to?"

Qrow scowled as he heard the irritating screeching of metal on the floor as Ruby dragged a chair over to the bed.

"No," Qrow glanced at Yang who was reading over the note on the pad by the end of the bed. "I just didn't expect you to pull them out of class."

Glynda let out a harsh chuckle, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she made her way past the bed to the window. "Shio was hospitalized yesterday evening. She's in a coma." She held her hand up, silencing any protests from Qrow that she knew he would have. "Ruby stayed with her all night, and Yang went to check on her this morning. Neither of them were actually _in_ class so they were free."

"You two skipped?" Qrow sighed, his eyes flicking from Ruby to Yang and back. "It's nothing new for Yang, so I'm not too surprised… but you, Ruby?"

"Hey! That's unfa- well no… you're not wrong." Yang huffed as she set the pad down, sitting down in a small black chair next to the door.

"I was worried about Shio, I didn't want her to be alone," Ruby whispered, her eyes shifting down from her uncle's face to the sheets he was wrapped up in.

Qrow leaned his head back, letting it hit the back of the wall with a soft thud. "Don't make a habit of it." His hand sunk into Ruby's hair before he shuffled it up. "The last thing I want is for Taiyang to be up my ass for letting you turn into a problem child."

"What about me?!" Yang shouted, leaning forward in her seat.

"Ah, you're already too far gone. All I can do now is damage control." Qrow grinned, letting a low chuckle loose as he watched Yang's face flush red in frustration. Taking a deep breath, Qrow sat up slowly, the sheets crinkling and ruffling around him. "Goodwitch. Did you pass my message along to the guys?"

Glynda flinched, resisting the urge to turn around. "Yes. I did."

"..." Qrow watched in slight amusement as he hummed to himself, "You never told them did you."

Glynda shook her head.

"You completely forgot didn't you?"

"Perhaps." Glynda clenched her teeth, swallowing the building irritation.

"Ah… see girls? Even Ms Perfect isn't able to do everything right." Qrow drawled the name he chose to grant Glynda. He couldn't help smiling as he glimpsed the pink-tinged cheeks that belonged to the usually serious Glynda.

"Ahem! Let's not get off topic here, Qrow. Captain Mithgail and Vice Captain Soma will be fully briefed once Ozpin has finished collecting their report." Turning around, the blonde schooled her expression back into one of stoic strictness. "In the meantime, why don't we discuss your Job?"

"As a hunter?"

"As a teacher."

"Ah. Yeah. That was a thing wasn't it?" Qrow chuckled as he scratched his chin absentmindedly, averting his eyes from the penetrating glare.

"Don't refer to it in the past tense!" Glynda snapped, before reigning herself in "Unless you-"

"Caught me red-handed."

Glynda's eyes widened as she fell silent before they narrowed into dangerous slits. "Ms Rose, Ms Xiao Long, please wait in the hall."

"But Ms.-"

"In the hall. Now." The seriousness of Glynda's tone quelled any further protest, both Yang and Ruby evacuated the room to leave their uncle alone with Glynda.

"You're both damn traitors!" Qrow yelled at them, his voice falling short as the heavy door shut with a resounding smack.

"Why did you resign."

"Hey now, I didn't resign by choice… well, I kinda did actually… the principal said that I couldn't take any more sick days so I said _I quit._ "

"You're an idiot." Glynda hissed, storming over to the bedridden hunter. "You know damn well that you were one of the _best_ teachers ever to teach at Signal."

"Exactly. And that same teacher was ambushed in broad daylight by Salem's lackeys. If they caught wind I was alive _and_ teaching at Signal? Do you have any idea how much of a risk that puts on the kids there? How much risk it puts Ruby and Yang in?"

Raising her brow, Glynda stepped back. Letting the anger seep out of her voice she smiled slightly. "I'm impressed, you actually thought this out somewhat." She nodded, letting her arms drop to her sides.

"You make it sound like I'm missing something, you know that?"

"Well, Qrow, that's because you are." With that, Glynda smacked her hand against his bandaged torso. Qrow's body tensed up, his hands grabbing at the sheets as pain shot through him. "You're poisoned and near-fatally injured. Yet you check yourself into a public hospital? You may as well have broadcasted your location! A professional hunter, downed and hospitalized? I'm sure at least one patient has leaked that kind of

Information."

Qrow paled as Glynda drew her hand back, leaving his injury throbbing in irritation. She wasn't wrong, but what choice did he have? He would've died if he hadn't of came here. "What would you have done then? I mean, you seem to have _all_ the answers!"

"I don't know, but it wouldn't be as stupid as this!" Glynda calmed herself, shaking her head. There wasn't a point in arguing about it now. There were more pressing matters, "It doesn't matter now, what's done is done," Pulling a chair closer, Glynda took a seat so she could look Qrow in the eye. "Listen, something happened during the trip."

"Go on."

"Well…"

 _ **Waiting Room, Vale Hospital.**_

"So what happened to Uncle Qrow, Yang?" Ruby asked she blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"No clue." Staring at the door in front of her, Yang answered Ruby. Glancing over at her little sister, Yang smiled. "Come on, they'll be talking for a while." Hopping up, she grabbed Ruby's hand. "Let's go get some food."

"Y-Yang?!" Ruby yelped as her elder sister dragged her off the seat and down the hall.

The sisters deftly navigated the busy halls of the hospital as they made their way to the elevator. Ruby stayed quiet as the doors screeched open, walking inside with Yang.

"Uhh, L." Speaking aloud, Yang pressed the button she was looking for making it turn a bright shade of yellow. The elevator rang out before the doors closed, lurching downwards to carry Yang and Ruby to their destination.

"Yang… can I ask you a question?" At length, Ruby spoke up. The elevator car came to a rough stop before the doors opened letting the girls off.

"You mean besides that one?" Yang quipped turning to look at her sister before chuckling "Sorry, go ahead."

"Don't lie to me now," Ruby began, waiting for Yang to nod in agreement. "I didn't want to say anything back at school because Blake and Shio were there, but, what actually happened yesterday? When you arrived both you and Blake looked so… off."

Yang flinched as Ruby stared up at her, forcing a smile, she scratched the back of her head. "Well, you see…"

"Yang, please. Just be honest." Ruby pleaded, her eyes were tired yet filled to the brim with concern.

"Haa, fine." Yang nodded, dragging Ruby over to a small table off to the side of the elevator. "Blake and I got into a fight with Shio, and Captain Mithgail."

"You what?!" Ruby exclaimed, only to be shushed by Yang.

"Shio wasn't put in that state by us, don't worry." Yang clarified, and just as she suspected, Ruby seemed to loosen up a bit. "First off, I should say that both Blake and I lost, in fairly one-sided fights."

Ruby's eyes shifted from her sister's face to her ribs, "So… it was Captain Mithgail that hurt you?"

Yang nodded silently, before waving her hand "Don't worry though, it wasn't intentional. I just pushed him a bit too much is all…" She chuckled bringing a small smile to Ruby's face "Uh, anyway, I have something I need to tell you."

"Hmm? What's up?" Ruby tilted her head to the side. She was a little upset with Yang, but her honesty was enough to settle more than a few of her doubts.

"Shio was the one that injured the Vice Captain. They started fighting and, while it looked equal, in the end, Shio managed to get the jump on Soma." Yang's hand squeezed her waist lightly as she remembered how easily Arius ripped into Soma's gut, a chill running through her. "She seemed to be getting out of control, so Soma injected her with some kind of… I think it was a tranquillizer and she passed out."

Ruby stayed quiet, adopting a downcast expression once again. Yang rolled her eyes and seconds later, smacked her up the side of the head. "H-Hey! That hurt!" Ruby cried out as she recoiled.

"You need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?!" Ruby snapped, her head throbbing now from the seemingly pointless hit.

"Getting depressed over things you don't have any control over. You're too young to take on that kind of pressure!" Yang raised her voice as she scolded Ruby.

"But, maybe it's because I'm too young." Ruby started, frowning "Maybe if I was older, the team would get along better…"

"Nonsense!" Yang snapped as she cupped Ruby's cheeks, drawing her lips up into a smile with her thumbs "It has nothing to do with you, so just smile okay?" Ruby nodded and Yang let go. "You just focus on being you. I'm the older sister so let me handle the stress!" Proudly, Yang clapped her hand on her chest, smiling down at her Ruby.

' _Such an idiot…'_ Ruby smiled genuinely as she watched her sister overreacting, ' _Just like Dad.'_ Letting out a light sigh, she nodded. "You're right. I'll let you handle all the stressful stuff! I hope you're prepared for me to rely on you a whole lot more from here on out!"

"Bring it on, Baby Sis!" Yang exclaimed, reaching out to grab onto Ruby's shoulder. "Now, enough serious talk. I'm hungry." Pulling Ruby into her, Yang wandered across the open lobby towards the small indoor restaurant that was built into the hospital wall.

Ruby put up no argument and cuddled into her sister's side, smiling as the scent of fresh pastries floated around her. ' _This reminds me of Mom…'_

 _ **Qrow's Room, Vale Hospital.**_

"Huh." Qrow nodded as he stared up at the white ceiling, "So, not only was everything Shio told us _true_ but it was watered down?"

"Apparently." Glynda tapped her heel on the floor, she was worried that she'd have to explain everything to Qrow, but it seemed Ozpin had told him everything he needed to know.

"I see." Qrow frowned, his hands gripping the sheets "So, the _Aragami_ are totally man-made right?"

"Correct."

"Then why didn't these Fenrir people make creatures to fight back? Surely a few good aragami with heavy artillery would make the battle easier." Qrow queried, his head falling to the side as he looked at Glynda.

"Well for one, I was told that these Aragami are constantly evolving, so any damage done to their bodies is almost instantly healed." It was then that Glynda pointed at her wrist "That's where Soma told me about the God Eaters."

Wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, Qrow glanced at her wrist. ' _You really don't know how to let a guy digest a situation do you…?'_ Is what Qrow would have said, though he knew any argument was pointless. "So, what are the God Eaters?"

"The best way to describe them would be as Hunters. However, the origin story of a God Eater seems to be far less orchestrated than a journey through school for training like our students are getting." Glynda began, talking about what the bracelets did and what their God Arcs were. The more she spoke, the more Qrow noticed her voice gaining emotion.

' _Is she… excited?'_ Qrow stared silently as he listened to Glynda explain the specifics of how the aragami came to be. After a while, Qrow felt the urge to bring it up. "Uh, Glynda. I know you're into the whole science fiction thing in your spare time, but you're talking about the fall of a species here."

Glynda fell silent, the only sound in the room was the rickety ceiling fan overhead. Looking away, Glynda coughed into her sleeve before fixing her glasses. "Yes, well, I apologize. It seems all this talk of separate worlds has gotten to me."

"It seems so," Qrow smirked, making Glynda blush.

"Hey! Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I can't have hobbies. Acting professional all day is stressful!" Glynda began, her finger pointed at Qrow. "I may not like you but you're unprofessional enough that I can be somewhat comfortable with you. That's the _only_ reason I loosen up a bit around you."

"I'm sorry, are you coming onto me?" Qrow sat up straight, bracing his arms on the back of the bed.

"And you ruined it." Glynda sighed, standing up. "Once you get better, I want you to come directly to Ozpin and I. Hopefully, we can get some more information by that time."

"Sure." Qrow nodded, resting his head against the wall. "I'll be there."

"Good." Turning away from the bed, Glynda crossed the room and opened the door. "I'll send Ruby and Yang back in."

"Not yet. Tell them I fell asleep or something… I need to think for a while."

"Fine." Glynda nodded before she left the room. As the door closed behind her, Glynda shook her head. ' _This has to have been the busiest start to a year we've ever had.'_ Noting that Yang had more than likely taken Ruby somewhere, she walked up to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. ' _We admit two kids into the academy, learned that the Grimm were mutating because of a reckless girl, introduced ourselves to two soldiers from another world, and learned that they are worse off then we are.'_ The elevator opened and she stepped in, pressing the button for the lobby, she pulled out her scroll and laughed to herself. ' _All that and it's not even Friday.'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

 _ **Medical Room, Beacon.**_

As Ruby and Yang bonded over hospital food, Blake sat solemnly by Shio's bedside. The side head was rested on the back of her hand as she watched the unconscious girl. Her eyes studied Shio's face, trying to find anything that might give her secret away. Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward and pressed her finger against the plump flesh of Shio's cheek. ' _Maybe she has fangs?'_ Brushing her thumb over Shio's lip, she slowly pushed the skin away from her gums to try and examine her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Shio asked, her teeth scraping along the side of Blake's retreating finger.

"I was uh… well…" Blake stammered, not sure how she was supposed to explain herself when she had clue how long Shio had been watching her for.

"You were checking to see if I was human, right?"

Blake flinched but nodded. "Yeah. It's just, I find it really hard to believe you're a normal human! You're too strong for a girl your age." In an attempt to justify her actions, Blake explained herself.

Shio smiled as she pushed herself up into a seated position. ' _What did Soma do to me… I'm still so groggy…'_ Squeezing her eyes shut, she staved off an oncoming migraine. Opening her eyes, she peered over at the now silent Blake. "Just be honest with me, Ms Blake-"

"Blake. Ms doesn't sound right."

"Then just be honest with me, Blake." Shio corrected, moving to sit on her heels. The light grey blankets fell off of her body as she sat upright. "It has nothing to do with how strong I am does it?"

"Of course it does."

"Really? If it was just about how strong I was, you wouldn't still be suspicious. Unless you're just assuming I'm untrustworthy?" Shio leaned forward, her head still thrummed with pain.

"I… Well…" Blake struggled to find the words. It wasn't about not trusting Shio, even though she didn't. ' _I guess it's more of an instinct thing. But I can't tell her that,'_ Closing her eyes Blake frowned. ' _I can't tell anyone that I'm a Faunus. Even if they suspect- huh?'_ As Blake opened her eyes, she watched the last bit of fabric fall from her head.

In Shio's hands was her bow, the little black bow that kept her heritage hidden from prying eyes. "So this is what it's about." Shio mused as she stared at the twitching black cat ears, her eyes calm yet excited. "You're not fully human so, you got territorial."

"S-SHIO!" Blake shrieked as her cat ears pinned back on the top of her head, snatching the bow from Shio's hands. "Listen, you can't tell anyone okay? You're not even supposed to know!"

"But… I told you I knew when we first met. And you got mad at me." Shio pouted, letting the back of her hand hit her lap.

"I thought you were just guessing! That's why I got so irritated!" Blake snapped, nimbly redoing her bow in case somebody walked in.

The two girls fell silent, Shio out of confusion and Blake out of embarrassment. On one hand, Shio didn't know why that would irritate Blake as much as it did while on the other hand, Blake felt stupid letting herself think Shio was a Faunus that planned to expose her identity.

At length, Blake heard Shio take a deep breath. "I know what it feels like to be excluded because of what you are. So, I can understand if you're angry because I know your secret." She stared directly at Blake who just let her speak, "So, why not make a fair trade?"

Blake's eyes opened wide, her mind running through a million different possibilities, "Fair trade? What did you have in mind?"

"I'll tell you the secret that I'm hiding from everybody. That way, you get your answers _and_ know that I won't share your secret with anybody."

"Go on." Blake raised her hand, motioning for Shio to continue. ' _If I just asked… would all of this have been avoidable?'_ Forcing a smile, she watched as Shio took her hand and pressed it against her own heart.

"I'm," taking a deep breath, Shio nodded to assure herself, "I'm not fully human either. I'm not like you, where I come from we don't have your kind. It's mostly Ar- Grimm and humans." Grabbing Blake's hand, she moved her own and pressed Blake's palm into her chest. "I'm the only one of my kind, and the humans where I'm from, discriminated against me, tried to _kill_ me. All because I wasn't a normal human."

What shocked Blake the most wasn't the revelation of Shio's past discrimination or her loneliness, no. What shocked her was the lack of a natural heartbeat, it was so subtle she would have missed it if she wasn't focused. Her heartbeat had no pattern, it was erratic and spontaneous. "Shio… what are you?"

Shio backed away from Blake before plopping back down in the bed. Staring at the ceiling, she smiled "I'll tell you, one day."

"If you're trying to make me trust you, you're doing a horrible job"

"I promise I'll tell you. It's just, it won't sound real unless you know more about my homeland." Shio grinned as she turned to look at Blake "Can you wait a little bit longer?"

Blake sighed and nodded, leaning back in her seat. "Fine. I'll wait, but in the meantime I want you to promise me something else."

"What is it?"

"Don't hurt Ruby." Blake started as she arranged her thoughts "We already got chewed out by Weiss for fighting you, it really put things into perspective for me." Shio tilted her head as she listened to Blake, "Throughout the last few days, I'd been taken by surprise so many times whenever Ruby is around because of how mature she can act in battle, well most of the time." Blake's mind wandered off to when she watched Ruby get cornered during the initiation test, "Anyways, she can act so mature that I forgot she's only fifteen. Surrounded by older kids, she's forcing herself to act like us, trying to understand our problems. But from what I've seen, she's a kid whenever she's around you."

' _Is she asking me to stay Ruby's friend…?'_ Shio raised her brow as she sat up once again, the bed creaking with the movement.

"Basically, right now I don't like you, but I like Ruby. If accepting you is what it takes to keep her happy, then I'll do my best to get along with you." Blake finished, pushing the chair away as she stood up. "That's what I want you to promise me, just keep being her friend. Maybe that and the eventual truth will help me come to trust you, maybe."

"Mmm." Shio nodded, offering a reassuring smile as she watched Blake back towards the door.

"Good. Then I'll leave you alone for the time being, just don't forget our promises." She turned away and opened the door, "If you do, I'll make sure I win next time."

"I won't."

With Shio's agreement, Blake left the room.

Finally, alone, Shio rolled onto her stomach and groaned. "I can't believe I did that…" she pulled the pillow under her head and stared at the wall. Her mind replayed the events of her last memory, leading up to her near gutting of Soma. "I almost killed him!" She shouted into the pillow, her voice being muffled by the white fluff. She thrashed around for a few seconds on her bed before freezing. ' _Again. What is this?'_ Shio rolled over and clutched the fabric of her shirt, over her chest. ' _I never felt these things before… but I seem to_ know _them. I think they were called emotions? I remember feeling what was called fear back of Aegis when the director was hurting me…'_

Shio bit down on her lip, her pillow hitting the wall after she tossed it away. ' _So this is… regret? For hurting Soma? And Blake?'_

The sound of knocking dragged her from her mind, her head snapping to the side to stare at the semi-see-through door. After a brief moment of hesitation, the bed shifted as she stood up. Shio shuffled across the cold floor and pulled the door open, looking up at the visitor.

"Ah, so you were awake?"

"Mr…?"

"I'm hurt, Shio. Even after I carried you…"

"Oh! It's you!" Shio exclaimed, her previous depression being replaced by a hybrid of excitement and embarrassment. "Mr Part!"

"Port."

"That's what I said." Shio grinned, chuckling slightly. ' _It's so much easier to talk to adults…'_ She thought as she watched Port smirk.

"Yes, Yes." Twirling the corner of his moustache, Port pat Shio on the head. "I saw Ms Belladonna on her way out and she said you were awake, so I decided to come and tell you."

"Tell me? Tell me what?"

Port sighed and scratched his chin, "Well, due to your actions during the trip yesterday, Headmaster Ozpin has decided to put you under house arrest. If you were a normal student that didn't impale a temporary staff member you'd have gotten off with a detention. However, we both know that you're no normal student _and_ you did impale a staff member."

Shio flinched as Port scowled at her, "So, uh, how do you know?"

"Vice-Captain Soma told us about the events surrounding the mysterious injuries of two students and himself, as well as your temporary coma." Port sighed heavily, "You will be confined to your dorm, in this case, Qrow's house, while under constant surveillance. Your punishment is to last a week."

"Confined…?" Shio tracked back her memories to the days after she first met Soma and the rest of the first unit. "You mean… like locked inside?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Shio looked away, visibly uncomfortable with the idea. "What if I try to run away?"

"You'll be caught, and your sentence will be doubled." Port shook his head, "I know it isn't fun, but it's what you got yourself. Pack up any belongings that Professor Ozpin may have brought here, I'll be in the hall waiting to escort you."

"..." Shio groaned and nodded, prompting Port to leave the room. ' _This sucks…'_ Shio kicked at the ground as she looked around the room. She pouted before she opened the door. "There's nothing in here that's mine."

"Very well, come along then. Make sure to stay in front of me." With a bit of reservation, Port ushered Shio out of the room and led her down the hall as they began their trek to Qrow's flat

 _ **Qrow's Flat, Vale.**_

"Just stay out of trouble and the time will fly, okay? If anything important comes up, I'm sure Ms Goodwitch will come and tell you."

Shio nodded slowly as she sat on the black leather couch in the corner of the flat, absent-mindedly listened to Professor Port.

"I'll be off now, don't try anything to get yourself in even _more_ trouble Shio." Port raised his hand in farewell before he left the flat, after a quick nod to the security guard outside the door his disappeared from Shio's sight.

"Haah…" She sighed, falling back on the couch. "It wasn't my fault though, why am I being punished?" She tilted her head to the side and glanced at the bookshelf adjacent to her. "I guess I can read…"

She rolled off the couch and hit the floor with a soft thump, her hair flitted in the air before it splayed across the floor. "A week…" as she mumbled to herself, Shio pressed her palms into the ground and pushed up off the floor.

She hopped to her feet before she wandered over to the untouched bookshelf. Scanning the covers one by one, she grabbed one called _Myths and Legends: The True Terrors of Remnant._

Reading through the first page, she shrugged and spun back towards the couch. Mid-turn, her eyes danced over the spot where she had collapsed just the other day. She bit down on the inner part of her bottom lip and shook her head, "Forget it, I'm fine now." When she pushed the memories to the back of her mind, a smile crept across her face. "I figured out what my problem was," Shio began while she sat back down on the couch. "At least I think I did…" As she opened the book she glanced at the clock, ' _Hmm… is it lunchtime already?'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

 _ **Cafeteria, Beacon**_

Jaune Arc sat in a deafening silence as his teammates glared at him from across the table. "G-Guys…" He stammered as he held his hand steady in front of him. "Let's just relax."

"Relax…? Not gonna happen." Nora grinned as she held her hand out next to Jaunes'.

"I refuse to back down here. I won't be beaten that easily, Jaune." Pyrrha warned as her fingers tensed over the table, ready to snap shut around her goal at any given moment.

Ren stayed silent as he raised his hand over his head, he flicked his eyes at each member of his team before smacking his hand down on the table. "Who was the first noble hunter in Vale?"

Three hands slammed down on the table at the same time, resulting in three buzzers sounding off in unison.

"Sir Luna Noir!" Jaune exclaimed.

Followed by Pyrrha, "Sir Ivory Woodsen!" And finally,

"A famous guy!" Nora, who intentionally threw the round.

Ren chuckled as he shook his head, "The closest was Pyrrha. The correct answer was-"

"Captain Maroon Eastman, who later became known as Sir Maroon Eastman. Sir Ivory Woodsen was his quartermaster during their sailing days."

All four heads spun as if on a swivel to stare at the newcomer, who was standing behind Ren.

"Cardin." Pyrrha hissed, narrowing her eyes at the bully. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to talk with Jaune," Cardin replied, who showed no signs of being intimidated.

"Well, go ahead."

Cardin glanced down at Ren who had moved to stand beside Nora. "It's private," he turned his attention to Jaune "Mind coming with me?"

"Why should he trust being alone with you?" Ren questioned as he kept an eye on his silent team leader.

"Because" Cardin began before he swung his arm out behind his back. "I came here alone. My teammates are back at the dorm right now."

Ren fell silent as he leaned against the table, Pyrrha never lessened her glare and Nora, well she seemed to be lost in her own fantasy of how best to get back at Cardin.

"Fine."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha snapped

"It's okay, Pyrrha. I'll be fine." Jaune pushed himself out of the seat and glanced at Cardin. "If I don't come back in ten minutes, start looking for me."

He left his bag at the table before he walked over to Cardin "Let's go. I feel like I know what this is about." He whispered, referring to the previous day and the Ursa they encountered.

"Right." Cardin nodded silently as he led Jaune out of the cafeteria, far too conscious of the glares burning through his uniform.

 _ **Cafeteria Walkway**_

"So, I'm sure you remember the Ursa back in Forever Fall?" Cardin began as he leaned up against the wall of the building. "And how you kind of saved my ass?"

"Yeah?" Jaune nodded, standing in front of Cardin.

"I wanted to say… uh…" Cardin choked on the words, his eyes looking anywhere but at Jaune. "Just, well you see…"

"You're welcome."

"Huh?"

Jaune shook his head, "You're trying to say _Thank You_ , right?"

"Yeah… that's not all though," Cardin bit the side of his cheek before jutting his chin out. "You really showed me who you were yesterday, I can see now that you're not the pushover I took you for." He scratched the side of his head nervously as he folded his tongue against his teeth. "So, I want to say I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? For thinking I was a pushover?" Jaune tilted his head, clenching his fist lightly.

"And bullying you. I know it was wrong."

"You're only apologizing because I'm not weak in your eyes right?" Jaune questioned, as he narrowed his eyes. "If so, that's not an apology. If you truly want me to believe you, to truly make me see that you want to change? Apologize for bullying in general, not just me."

"But-"

"Until then!," Jaune cut Cardin off, "Until then, don't talk to me. Once you have come to grips with what you are, _then_ and _only then_ will I accept your apology."

"I don't have to change myself for you, Arc. Do you know how much it took for me to muster up those words? There's no way in hell I'm doing more." Cardin hissed as he stood tall.

"Then you're a coward. Just like the rest of your team, and the Cardin I saved yesterday is just a ghost of your past." Jaune bit his tongue and walked back through the heavy doors of the cafeteria. He glanced at Cardin once more before the door closed behind him. He seemed to be mulling over what Jaune said, but he looked less than happy about how Jaune spoke.

He leaned against the door and held up his shaking hand as he grabbed his wrist. ' _I think I went a little too far there…_ _maybe I should have just accepted his apology.'_ he swallowed the lump in his throat and walked back towards his table.

As he crossed the hall, he looked out the window and stared at Cardin who still hadn't moved from his spot on the wall.

"Jaune!"

He turned to face Pyrrha who had left the table and walked over to him, "Oh, hey." He nodded in greeting before looking back out the window, Cardin was gone.

"What did you two talk about?" Pyrrha asked as she too looked out the window, unsure of what her leader was looking at.

"He was just saying thank you for yesterday. I was really surprised! I didn't know he could say those words," Jaune chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck, choosing to leave out the part where he called Cardin a coward.

"Oh? I'm impressed… who knew he felt gratitude towards anybody but himself." Pyrrha muttered before smiling "Cardin aside, I was thinking we start aura manipulation after classes today? Ren and Nora said they're going into town for something so we have a few hours of undisturbed training."

"Oh…? That sound uh… pretty great!" Jaune stammers, nodding his head. "Sounds like a plan."

"You don't sound too into it…"

"Are you crazy? I'm totally into yo-it!" Jaune exclaimed, his hand forming a strained thumbs up. "Anyway, let's go and finish our game of Trivial Pursuit. Lunch ends in twenty!" He pushed passed Pyrrha, his cheeks tainted a bright red. ' _That was too close. Why was I about to say that?!'_ Jaune internally chastised himself as he sat down at the table.

Pyrrha joined him soon after, the game starting up like it had never been paused. However, Jaune couldn't help but feel like something wasn't right. He spared a glance up at Beacon Tower through the upper windows of the cafeteria.

 _ **Ozpin's Office, Beacon.**_

"You two seem quite depressed, does it have anything to do with the negligence of your duties on the trip yesterday?"

Soma and Mithgail both turned to the door of the office, neither man having spoken a word since their argument earlier in the day.

"If not, I don't want to know what could be more important than my students," Ozpin said coolly, his cane beating against the floor of his office as he strode to his desk.

"Ozpin." Mithgail nodded in greeting, followed by a grunt from Soma.

"I didn't want to bring this up in the nurse's office since the kids arrived, but I'll bring it up now." Ozpin began, resting his cane against the desk. "What in gods name were you thinking? Fighting my students while you were supposed to be protecting them? As for you," Ozpin shifted his attention to Soma, "While I appreciate you filling in on the state and workings of your lands, I would prefer you do it when _not_ on duty."

"In my defence," Mithgail raised his voice as he pushed off the wall he was leaning against. "I _did_ protect your students. They were foolish enough to attract a pack of your Grimm and tumble off a cliff. If I hadn't been there, at least one of them would have died." Raising his hand, he silently told Ozpin to hold off on his retort, "As for fighting them, I had little choice. Ms Belladonna went after Shio and Ms Xiao Long confronted me and stopped me from breaking Shio and Blake apart."

"While that may be, it doesn't change the fact that you harmed someone far younger than yourself." Ozpin stepped forward,

Mithgail debated on correcting Ozpin, and eventually, he did, "According to the little entrance lecture you gave Soma and I when we arrived, you said with the exception of Ruby, and now Shio, all students were seventeen or older"

"Captain." Soma hissed, but Mithgail pressed on.

"Am I mistaken?"

"No. Which means that Ms Xiao Long is a year away from being considered an adult in our society. She is still a minor." Ozpin nodded.

"If she is seventeen, then your remaining issue with my fight against her is invalid," Mithgail stated directly at Ozpin, ignoring Soma who had just let his face fall into his palms.

"How so?" Ozpin questioned as his eyes narrowed behind his spectacles.

"I'm only sixteen." Mithgail declared, arms crossing over his chest. "Therefore, according to your reasoning, I have not done anything wrong. Unless self-defence is a crime in Remnant?"

"You expect me to believe you? I may have fallen for that if you said eighteen or nineteen, but sixteen? Not with the way you're built." Ozpin shook his head, "You'd have to of lived on the battlefield in order for that to be possible."

"I did."

"What kind of military enlists a sixteen-year-old, essentially a child in the middle of puberty, to fight a war like yours?" Ozpin pressed, more than a little disgusted with the truths being revealed about Soma and Mithgail's homeland.

"A desperate one," Mithgail shrugged before he dropped his hands. "I'll say sorry if you want me to. I had no intention of harming her."

Ozpin stood in silence before he sighed "Fine, but you are not off the hook. Any and all assignments from here on out will consist of campus security or recon and elimination missions. Neither of you will be alone with any of the students off property until you have regained our trust."

"Fair enough." Soma nodded while he watched the gears turning inside Ozpin's mind as he tried to comprehend a war veteran of only sixteen years old.

"That includes Shio, once her house arrest is over." Ozpin finished, turning away as Soma bristled.

"Excuse me? She is _my_ family, what right do you have!"

"She is my student, as well as a broken girl with no sense of who she is," Ozpin said over his shoulder, grabbing a thin folder off his desk. "If you were truly a family, you would have helped her find herself long before she got here. She is basing herself on those around her."

"You have no idea what she's gone through, you have no ground to make those accusations," Mithgail spoke up, catching the folder thrown at him.

"What I know and don't know are unimportant. I am the highest authority in this room, and as much as I hate separating families, I feel like I have no other choice," he leaned on the edge of the desk "It's not forever, just until I get and analyze all reports from yesterday's Incident. I'd say three weeks top. Until then, pre-occupy yourself with that." He pointed at the folder in Mithgails hand.

"Don't cha-"

"Soma, don't argue. It's pointless in this situation, Ozpin is clearly blinded by authority." Mithgail cut his partner off as he read through the folder.

Soma glared at his Captain, still sore about their earlier argument. "Fine. Then what's this?" He grumbled, jutting his thumb towards the folder that Mithgail was finishing up.

"A mission in Haven. There have been reports of a new species of Grimm, I'd ask one of our professional hunters however they have a few things that they must plan for," Ozpin sighed as he tilted his head back, "Beacon is in charge of the Vytal Festival next semester, meaning all of the hunters have to finish their current missions. One of the events we have is to send our students out into the field on a mission while shadowing a professional. The mission should last no more than three months, neither of you has a problem with that right?"

Mithgail and Soma reluctantly shook their heads, the folder snapped shut as Mithgail turned to leave.

"One thing, Ozpin." Soma spoke up, pushing his anger to the back of his mind, "I want my Captain to use a temporary weapon of some sort, his personal one needs repairing and we don't have the equipment on hand to follow through with the required maintenance.

"My weapon is fine, Soma." Mithgail hissed over his shoulder, missing the nod from Ozpin.

"As you wish," He walked over to a large chest in the corner of the office and opened it before pulling out a large wooden staff. "This is all I have, if you want my advice, pick up some work in Haven and gather lien for a proper temp weapon."

"I don't need a staff." Mithgail protested, forcing himself to catch the now airborne weapon. "I guess I'm getting a staff…" he huffed as he held the staff carefully at his side 'It's _too different from my scythe. Lighter and not as sharp, kind of a bummer.'_ He thought to himself as he rolled his wrists with the staff in hand, "I assume you're providing transport?"

"Ships already prepared, just go board." Ozpin nodded, "It's waiting for you at the same strip you landed on yesterday."

"Okay." With a curt nod, Mithgail left the room.

"Before I go," Soma began as he strode over to the door, "Don't get too attached to Shio, once we find a way home, she's coming with us."

"We'll see."

"Hmph." Soma left the office, the door slamming behind him.

Now in silence, Ozpin slid down his desk to sit on the floor. ' _I can only hope that those two change. The way they think now, it's war-mongering. They'll bring forth the continuation of the Great War unless they can learn to trust people.'_ He rubbed his temples ' _Qrow's warning about those individuals is in that folder as well, maybe the two of them will do us a favour and take some of Salem's thugs out?'_ Ozpin chuckled to himself as he let his mind run free for the first time in a while.

 _ **Landing Strip, Beacon.**_

After a long and awkwardly silent walk, Mithgail and Soma finally stood inside the aircraft that was meant to take them to Haven.

"So, you gave up on quarantining me and decided to make me use a staff?"

"I knew you'd find a way to break out of quarantine, I had no choice Captain." Soma shrugged as he sat down on the bench behind him.

"You could have chosen to keep quiet and let me do what I need to do." Mithgail retorted, opting to stay standing as the ship twitched and left the ground, the bay doors closing. "That would have been the better _choice_."

"And when have I ever made good choices?" Soma raised a brow and was greeted with silence, "Exactly, now let's just keep quiet for a while. You've been talking far too much."

"To think, you once scolded me for not talking enough." Mithgail shrugged before he turned towards the pilot's seat. "I'll shut up though, don't say I never did anything for you."

' _I swear… I'm going to beat that infection out of you one of these days…'_ Soma hissed in his mind and he glared at the ceiling ' _I want my Captain back, not whoever this is.'_ he let his eyes drop and look out the nearest window. ' _I wonder, how's the rest of the team doing? Hopefully better than us…'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

 _ **City of Mercy, Far East.**_

Thunderous footsteps beat against the decrepit building as the deusphage chased after the small blonde.

"Let's go! I'm right here!" She spun around, her arc transforming into an oversized assault rifle before she loosed several shots at the ground between her and the aragami.

" _ **GRAAAAAGHHH!**_ " The beast roared out as it's midnight black body hit the already crumbling spot where the girl had been shooting. " _ **RRRAAAHH!**_ " It cried out in surprise as it's unnaturally heavy body broke the concrete and fell through the floor, as well as the consecutive floors below before it hit the hard dirt ground on top of the foundation.

It quickly flipped to its feet and shook the dust off, its cruel, mask-like face hesitating before it snapped up to glare at her. Muscular hind legs tensed as it prepared to jump, only for its body to erupt in a torrent of yellow electricity. " _ **Nnn-RAAARGH!**_ " It seemed to scream in annoyance as it was paralysed.

"Nice work!" The blonde pat herself on the back, willing her Arc to revert to its natural blade form before she leapt down to the floors below, one by one. As she neared, she could hear the grunt of a fellow God Eater.

Far below, a young man known as Tatsumi O'Mori kicked off the side of the downed Aragami. His dark brown hair rustled as the air tore through it, his red coat flitting in the wind before he landed. In his hand was a short blade, currently shimmering with the 'blood' of the downed Aragami.

"Brendan!" Tatsumi called out, watching the paralysis fade away.

"Here, Cap!" A silver-haired man replied as he took to the air, holding his buster blade high above his head. "Eat shit!" He yelled, blue eyes storming with aggression as his blue jacket flew off his back, connected to him by only the sleeves. The wind howled aggressively around the edge of his buster blade before it smacked into the bony mask of the Aragami.

A large cloud of dust sprung up from the impact, sending pebbles and rocks hurtling towards the walls. The Aragami hit the ground once again, its mask all but shattering as its head was slammed into the hard earth.

Using the remaining momentum, Brendan kicked off the neck of the beast and landed just in front of Tatsumi. The latter clapped him on the shoulder as he shot forward, spurred forth by the well-timed transfer shots of the two gunmen on higher floors

"Rank two, perfect!" He exclaimed as his body began to move faster, the world slowing down in his eyes. Tatsumi flipped the short blade into a reverse grip and kicked off the ground once he neared the raven black Aragami. He soared over the back of the beast, the top of his blade ripped through the tough hide of its back.

As he landed opposite of it, he dropped into a stance and pulled his arc back. When the Aragami lifted itself off the ground, he shot forward and severed the tendons in its front leg.

" _ **GGRRRAAAA!**_ " It roared in frustration, the intensity of its howl sending Tatsumi rocketing towards the nearest wall.

Brendan deployed his tower shield, his hand clenching around the sleeve of his leader's jacket before he dragged Tatsumi behind the shield with him.

"Thanks!" Tatsumi sighed, breathing heavily as the golden aura around him dissipated. The burst state that all God Eaters are capable of achieving through either devouring or transfer bullets, vanished as Tatsumi reverted to his original state.

"Don't worry about it." Brendan nodded as he grit his teeth, the force of the roar was only getting stronger. "Damn it… Sakuya!" Brendan yelled, the earth beneath his shield steadily lessening as it was slowly ripped from the ground.

Seconds later, Brendan was hit by the same transfer shot as his Captain, sending him into the first stage of burst. He used the sudden boost in strength to force his tower shield back into the earth in order to withstand the onslaught of power.

"So this is a Dyaus Pita…" Tatsumi remarked as he peered around the edge of the tower shield, his brown eyes widening as he watched eight, bladed wings rip from the Aragami's back where it's near-impenetrable yellow cape once was. Any wounds it had sustained healed instantly, its power skyrocketing.

The wings fanned out as it's large black body stretched up to howl at the sky, sending yet another burst of vocal power hurtling around the basement of the building. The foundation of the building shook from its power, its eight black wings pulling in closer together. The blades on the wings were a blood red, the same red as the invulnerable oracle cells that held the wings to its massive body like webbing.

"GUYS GET BACK!" Sakuya screamed from the upper floor as the Dyaus Pita lurched forward, its bladed wings collapsing together in front of its body.

Her pleas reached them too late as Brendan and Tatsumi were flung through the thick wall of the building, sending them skidding out into the open courtyard on their backs.

Neither man had any time to breathe as the sun above them was blotted out by the beast, its blades stretching apart like eight bloody scythes as it hovered above them. The Dyaus Pitas' jaw opened wide, a blood red ball of electricity forming before it shot through the air towards Brendan and Tatsumi.

"Shit!" They swore in unison, rolling to their feet and leaping away as the ball exploded into a miniature electrical storm.

Both men deployed their shields as the Dyaus landed and reared back, six smaller versions of the red ball crackling to life in front of its face. Each one shot out individually, every impact sending the two men skidding back.

"Ngh…!" Brendan groaned, his arm shaking. Eventually, his burst gave out, forcing his arc to revert to it usual buster blade in order to save Brendan stamina. "Damn it!" He cried out as a seventh, hidden ball, hurtled towards him.

The resulting explosion engulfed him completely, red electricity surging across his body. "G-AHHHH!" He screamed as his body was burnt and healed repeatedly. "I… Won't die here!" He grit his teeth and dug the tip of his buster blade into the ground, trying to fight through the pain.

"Brendan!" Tatsumi roared, quickly switching his shield back to his short blade before running at the panting Dyaus. "Heal him up, Alisa!" He yelled through his comms as he sidestepped around the swipe of the Pita's wing, driving his blade into its side before ripping it open. A spray of black blood resulted as the edge of Tatsumi's blade cleaved its side open.

" _Roger!"_ She replied, quickly running to the window of her floor and taking aim. Two green bullets shot out from the barrel of her gun, hurtling through the fanning wings of the Pita before colliding with the stationary Brendan.

"Wha!" He exhaled sharply before nodding in appreciation. Quickly flipping his arc around in hands, Brendan ran forward and twisted his torso as he neared the Dyaus Pita's head. The flat face of his buster sword smacked into its head, making it stumble to the side.

Brendan took the opportunity and slipped past its guard to stand before its lacerated side. "Time," Brendan drew his arc back before swinging forward. "To die!"

" _ **RRRAAAAGH**_ **!** " The Dyaus roared in frustration, red electricity rippling across its body before it erupted. Tatsumi and Brendan were both caught in the dome of crackling electricity, neither men could form a scream as their bodies were overloaded.

Once the dome dissipated, the Dyaus leapt away and howled at the two panting men.

"We've… gotta move!" Tatsumi snapped as a bright red shadow formed beneath him.

"No shit…!" Brendan yelled as both men rolled away from the shadow. Before they were on their feet, a red bolt of lightning scorched the ground where they once stood.

Tatsumi stood up straight and glared at the beast in front of them. "Pincer…?" He called across the smoking courtyard, sparing a glance at Brendan.

"Pincer." Brendan nodded.

" _ **GRAAAAGGHH!**_ " The Dyaus reared its broken mask back and howled at the cloudy sky.

In response, the ground before Brendan and Tatsumi was littered with red shadows similar to the one they just evaded.

"Go!" Tatsumi yelled, both men erupting with the power of the first stage of burst.

The ground erupted as they shot forward, nimbly avoiding the red lightning as the bolts scorched the ground. Tatsumi sidestepped a strike next to him, the power of the bolt singed his hair.

"Damn it… the bastard is getting quicker!" Tatsumi cursed, quickly resuming his forward dash.

"I noticed!" Brendan snapped as he rolled through an oncoming bolt, kicking off the ground with the momentum to take to the air.

The Dyaus turned to him, forming a large red ball of electricity in front of its mouth once again.

"Bring it!" Brendan roared, his eyes locked in a furious glare with the Dyaus. As if accepting his challenge, the ball of electricity shot forth hurtling towards the airborne Brendan. "Thank," He twisted his body back, the face of his arc towards the Dyaus. "You!" He swung forward, the side of arc smacked against the red mass of electricity.

He grit his teeth as the electricity pushed against him, "Not today!" He screamed as he pushed his body to the limits, following through with the swing. The mass of electricity bent around his arc before it ricocheted off his buster blade and barrelled towards the Dyaus Pita.

" _ **UURAAAGGHH!**_ " The Dyaus cried out as its body erupted in a brilliant display of red, its own attack surging through it. It stumbled around in place before a heavy force slammed into its side.

Tatsumi drove the entirety of his short blade into the Aragami before leaping over its body, cutting through its whole body before he landed.

Visible waves of near-evaporated Oracle Cells poured from its wounds before it hit the ground.

"Yes!" Tatsumi exclaimed as he thrust his fist up into the air.

" _Well done team! The Dyaus Pita is showing no signs of Oracle cell activity, please harvest its core and prepare for pick up!"_ The sound of Hibari's voice filled the ears of the four exhausted God Eaters.

"Aye Aye, Ma'am!" Tatsumi exclaimed, saluting nobody in particular. "I think a celebratory drink is in order, don't you Ms Takeda? Hibari…? Hello…?"

"She's gone, Tatsumi." Brendan grinned slightly as he grasped Tatsumi's shoulder. "Maybe next time, just keep trying."

"Yeah, Yeah…" Tatsumi frowned, letting his head fall forward as he heard the sounds of Alisa and Sakuya running out of the building, and over to the dead Dyaus. Alisa harvested the core before she turned to the other two.

"Great job, guys. Your pincer attacks have been absolutely beneficial to this mission, thank you!" Alisa bowed slightly, making the older God Eaters chuckle.

"No worries, we're just glad we get to fight alongside the first unit. While you get your missions completed, the two of us are taking notes on how to surpass you guys." Brendan smiled, the sound of a distant helicopter drawing his attention away from the group.

"Extractions here, let's go." Sakuya sighed, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead as the four of them moved out of the way for the descending helicopter.

The other three nodded as they boarded the ship, each one of them longing for the warm embrace of their bed.

 _ **Licca's Lab, Fenrir F.E.B**_

"I know I asked for a large-class Aragami core… but a Dyaus Pita core? How did the two of you take down something as vicious as that with just yourselves? Even with the full first unit, they're not easy to overpower."

"Well, about that…" Sakuya forced a smile, letting Licca insinuate what she had left unsaid.

"After I made you swear to keep this private…" Licca scowled, laying the last of the material that Alisa and Sakuya had gathered over the course of the past two days. "Who did you tell?"

"Nobody!" Alisa exclaimed, her hands shaking left and right as she justified the actions of her and Sakuya. "We just asked Brendan and Tatsumi to help us with a routine mission, which may have entailed hunting a Dyaus Pita."

"Hmm…" Licca hummed unsatisfied, "I thought they scared you."

"They do… but I knew without its core we would have to work a straight week for a bunch of cores that might not work. The plan was fully my own, I decided that a deusphage class core would work best!" Alisa pointed at the table, making Licca chuckle slightly.

"Hah… fine!" Licca threw her hands up in the air, turning to the small tree-like organism in the wall. "Alright, you two go and get some rest. If everything goes as planned, the event should be ready tomorrow afternoon."

"A full day of rest? Perfect!" Sakuya cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Phew, we'll see you then, right?"

"Yeah, just leave it to me!" Licca grinned as she nodded at Alisa, "Now leave me alone, I work faster in silence!" She shooed the two girls out before locking the door as they left.

She wandered over to the table and began sorting through the materials. "Alisa wasn't wrong, this core will be super helpful… it should have enough power for multiple trips there and back!" Giddy with excitement, she steadied her hand and carefully picked up the jar containing the extracted core.

As she spun around, she smiled at the Aragami encased in glass. "Let's get you out!" She set the container down across from the encasement, entering a quick code before the glass lifted away. She eased the small platform out and settled it on a nearby table.

The black tree seemed to throb as it got its first taste of fresh air in days.

"Okay, let's get this started!" Licca rubbed her hands together, her eyes filled to the brim with excitement.

As Licca lost herself in her work, one Dr Sakaki watched over her through a small hidden camera he had installed in the room.

"Hmm." He scratched his chin as he watched her get to work on the unknown Aragami. "I've been wondering what you were doing all these days alone in that little lab of yours."

He pushed himself up from his desk and walked carelessly out of his office. As he wandered down the halls, Sakaki stepped onto the elevator and selected the basement.

The lights outside the metal car flashed in and out of view before it came to a screeching halt. He quickly stepped off the car and hurried down the long hallway toward the set of iron doors that were currently camouflaged as a part of the wall.

Keeping silent, Sakaki slowly opened the door and peeked in, watching Licca work away.

"Ahem!"

"Oh! W-What's up?!" Licca yelped, the small empty vial in her hands falling to the ground and shattering. She spun around and flinched as she stared at Sakaki.

"I could ask you the same thing, Ms Kusunoki." Sakaki drawled as he wandered into the lab, his eyes locked on the small Aragami on the table. "What's this little guy?"

"A-Ah uhm… it's a…"

"New species of Aragami. I see." Sakaki nodded, walking around the table. "I assume this was the culprit that spirited Captain Mithgail and Assault Corporal Soma away not too long ago. No?"

"Y-Yes…" Licca replied, her mouth dry. ' _How did he find out?! What's he going to do to me for this? Lock me in the brig? Fire me? Ugh! This su-'_

"I want to work with you on whatever this project is."

"Huh?"

"I said," Paylor Sakaki turned and smiled, "Let me work with you. I'll provide the Oracle Specialization while you actually _do_ the work. Let me handle the science and math."

"You're joking, right? This is treason!" Licca snapped, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm fully aware, however, sending Lindow and Mithgail out solo to fight an Ouroboros was treason against the head branch. I authorized that didn't I?" Licca nodded and Paylor grinned "Wonderful, now how about filling me in on everything that has transpired up to this point."

Licca gathered her thoughts and nodded. "O-Of course!" She rushed over to her computer and pulled out a pile of papers from the desk.

 _ **Half an hour later.**_

"I see." Paylor nodded, "So you said tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah, but to make it work right I'd guesstimate maybe even a week." Licca frowned, already resigning herself to a sleepless week.

"Hmm, how fast can you fuse Oracle Cells?"

"I'm the fastest in the Far East, Doctor! Why…?" Licca answered as Paylor mumbled to himself.

"I'd say, we'll be done by dawn." Paylor nodded, agreeing with himself. "Can you call Alisa and Sakuya down? Tell them to prepare two portable terminals, we fly to Aegis within the hour."

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Licca asked, glancing at the small Aragami.

"Simple, with the mutated core and the space of Aegis, that little guy can become whatever monstrosity it was when it attacked the first unit. In fact, if what you say is true, it will grow to be a giant tree instead of a monster. All we need to worry about then is how to isolate the cells that trigger its transformation." Sakaki rummaged through the items on her desk, "Ah! Okay, perfect." He spun around and tossed an empty syringe at Licca. "I have a prototype Oracle formula that stabilizes and freezes any and all Oracle cells within the host. It was developed to halt the transformation from Human into Aragami with God Eaters suffering from Oracle Poisoning. It should work to freeze the Oracle cells in that guy as well."

"Uhm, if you don't mind my asking, when did you develop something like that?" Licca questioned, "Between being head researcher aside from your profession studies, when did you have the time?"

"Oh, that's simple! Soma and I developed it together. I only have two of three units left, so, one will be used on that," Sakaki pointed at the Aragami, "and the final one will be sent with Alisa and Sakuya in the case of an emergency."

"I see…" Licca nodded slowly, watching Sakaki run through possibilities in his head. "I'll let the girls know then." She slid around Sakaki and left the room.

Once Licca was out of sight, she slumped against a wall and put her hand over heart. ' _He's too unpredictable. Last time I worked with Oracle cells like this he sent me to the director, now he's working with me…?'_ Licca shook her head in confusion before pulling the small communicator out of her back pocket. "Alisa, you guys still up?" She whispered into the mic, smiling as she heard the rustling of one of them picking their communicators up.

" _Yeah, we're up. What do you need?"_

"I need you two to prepare a set of portable terminals and make your way back down to the lab. ASAP."

" _What…? You said it wouldn't be until tomorrow."_

"Well, things took a turn for the better. Now hurry up and get down here! Everything will make sense soon!"

" _Uh… okay! We'll be down soon!"_ Alisa set the communicator down, her line being filled with dead air,

"Great." Licca nodded to herself as she tucked the communicator away and quickly ducked back into her lab where she helped Sakaki fuse the materials.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

After Alisa had goaded Sakuya out of bed, the two of them grabbed the terminals from the expedition hall in the lobby. Then, they proceeded to take the service elevator down to the basement in order to reach Licca's hidden lab.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by an ecstatic Sakaki who led them into the main research room.

"H-How did he find out…?" Alisa whispered to Licca who shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't think there's anything going on in this branch that he's unaware of…" She sighed heavily, "He probably planted a camera somewhere on one of us that transferred to the room when we entered. He's done it before."

"He has?!"

"Mhm. That's how he knew where Lindow was almost all the time, it's a serious breach of privacy but its saved lives so I tend to ignore it." Licca watched the grey-haired man explain how everything was going to work to Sakuya, before she frowned, "If he ever does anything creepy with it though, he won't live long enough to regret it…"

"You don't consider this creepy?" Alisa questioned, shooting Licca a confused look.

"Not particularly, this is just the Doctor being himself." Licca smiled as Paylor and Sakuya reunited with herself and Alisa.

"So," Sakaki began, not really caring that he interrupted their conversation, "With the Dyaus core you harvested for us, we should be able to make an exact replica of the events that first separated the first unit."

"Does that mean the Aragami is going to go berserk again?" Alisa asked, the memories of its first appearance sending shivers down her spine.

"Usually, yes." Sakaki nodded before he pulled out a syringe filled with a dark green liquid. "However, with perfected serum, the Oracle cells should stabilize in whatever form they first materialize as. In this case, it should just be a giant tree judging by its current form."

"You don't sound too certain…"

"I never am!" Sakaki grinned before he handed the syringe to Sakuya. "That one is for you two, I've already explained the effects to Sakuya I have another one for the experiment." He pat his coat pocket before a loud ringing echoed through the room, accompanied by a flashing red light. "Perfect!"

The three girls shared a look of shock as the Doctor clapped his hands together.

"Perfect? We're under attack, how is that perfect?" Sakuya resisted the urge to run for deployment as Sakaki hurriedly gathered the remaining material.

"Because there is no threat! I scheduled the alarms to go off at this time, and-"

" _Alert! A type one deusphage has been detected on Aegis island. The first unit is to be ready to depart within five minutes!"_ Hibari's worried and tired voice sounded out through the comms in the basement.

"I set the first unit up to take the mission. Now let's go!" Sakaki ushered the girls out before he grabbed the now encased specimen and followed after them. "Don't forget to grab your Arc! Those terminals will only serve as a place to hold and repair, they won't store the arcs themselves!" He yelled out as the three girls continued to increase the distance between them and him.

Sakaki trailed behind them but eventually managed to catch up. ' _Hah… these girls are too fast… for an old man like me…'_ He chuckled in his mind as Sakuya and Alisa picked up their God arcs from the stationary terminals. Thankfully for him, there was a bay door in the basement that led directly to the landing pad four floors above via elevator. It would make slipping past the other denizens of the branch far easier.

As Sakaki struggled to catch his breath, he looked down at the Aragami in his arms. ' _Who would've thought? Not only did I play an instrumental role in the fall of humanity, I may also play a role in domesticating the first deusphage class Aragami.'_ Sakaki smiled to himself as the large elevator shot upwards, before coming to a sudden stop.

"When did you do this, Doctor?!" Licca yelled over her shoulder as the four of them ran out of the elevator towards the helicopter waiting for them.

"I have my ways, trust me!" Sakaki replied, making sure not to drop any of the materials. Sakuya and Alisa were already boarding the helicopter when Licca and Sakaki crossed the line separating the bay door and the landing pad.

"I always have, now come on! Hurry up!" Licca chuckled as she hopped into the elevator, watching Sakaki struggle to keep up. At length, he crawled through the open side and lay himself down on the metallic floor.

"Take off, pilot! To Aegis!" Sakuya yelled over the rotating blades at the man in the cockpit. He replied with a silent thumbs up and took off.

 _ **Aegis Island, Far East**_

"I'm glad the pilot kept his time here brief… the fewer people involved with this the better." Sakuya mutter as she eyed the empty platform where the original Aragami first appeared.

"Yes, Yes, treason and treachery! Horrible charges, but not important!" Sakaki exclaimed, clumsily climbing down from their elevated platform. "Come on, we have less than two minutes before they realize it was a false alarm!"

The three girls shared a look caught between concern and amusement before they followed Sakaki down.

"Did you finish the calculations, Doctor?" Licca asked as she wandered over to the centre of the island.

"On the way here, I ran through several possible outcomes and by my math we have a thirteen percent chance of success and an eight percent chance of survival."

"Eight?!"

Sakaki heard Alisa shriek in the background before he nodded. "Yes, eight. It's either that or you wait a month for a better figure. Even with Licca's calculations with a time set for tomorrow afternoon the survival rate would only be twelve percent."

"So, we have a ninety-two percent chance of dying?" Sakuya questioned as she and a shaken Alisa walked up to Sakaki.

"Yes."

"That's better than our mission survival rate." Sakuya mused, squeezing Alisa's shoulder tightly. "We are considered dead the minute we step off the ship, it's a miracle whenever we come home."

"Yeah, but that's us fighting to survive," Alisa muttered as she watched Sakaki lay the Aragami in the centre before he got up and ran back.

"There's no difference between fighting with an arc or your will, as long as you desire to live, you will survive." Sakuya grabbed ahold of Alisa's wrist and pulled her back as she retreated with Sakaki.

Once the three of them were far enough away, Sakaki handed Sakuya a similar syringe to the one he gave her earlier. "Load this into your sniper chamber, once the Aragami is finished growing, shoot it."

Sakuya stared at the syringe before holding her Arc out in front of her, the chamber popping open letting her slip the syringe in. "Loaded."

Behind her, Alisa leaned nervously against her arc, the red metal reflecting the glare of the islands lights. She bit her lip as she watched Licca set up the Dyaus Core with the rest of the gathered material. ' _Please work…'_ She prayed to herself while her fingers danced along the handle of her arc.

"Licca, ignite the material and place the core on top. Then run!" Sakaki yelled out prompting Licca to nod.

With a bit of flint, she lit the various scales and hides on fire before pushing them right in front of the tiny tree. Reaching into her pouch, she grabbed a pair of clamps and picked up the core, moving it over the burning material and setting it down.

The tree flinched and she scrambled away before getting to her feet and breaking into a sprint.

The once golden core took on a dark yellow shade as it destabilized, being away for a host for too long. The fire activated its defence systems while the scent of burning hides and scales permeated the centre of the island. The ground shook and splintered as the small tree began to grow, a set of black tendrils shaped like roots jutting out and into the ground. They travelled deep and far, settling way below the surface of the water. The body of the miniature tree seemed to spread apart like a bear trap before it devoured the destabilized core and burning materials.

"Get down!" Alisa screamed as the air went still before a loud, thunderous clap reverberated through the metallic island. The water surrounding Aegis was pushed back by the sound waves, sending the water rushing towards the shoreline.

Sakaki and Licca covered their ears from the burst of sound while Alisa and Sakuya just braced themselves, the Oracle cells in their bodies adjusting to the sound wasn't harmful.

The tiny tree began to sprout, growing large and tall. The trunk of the tree took up most of Aegis as the top broke through the roof. It kept growing, stretching higher and higher almost like it wanted to reach the moon itself.

Pitch black tendrils shot out from its sides, forming dark branches that wrapped around the metal pillars of the island. At length the shaking stopped, the tree having finished its growth.

"Ms Tachibana, shoot it before it can change into something hostile! Hurry!" Sakaki ordered.

"Right!" Sakuya leaned back and hoisted her arc up, firing off a shot at the tree. The syringe lodged into the trunk of the Aragami before it shattered from the impact, the liquid seeping into the newly formed hole.

The tree went still, its branches resisting the losing wind as it tried to reject the serum. In the end, it was overpowered.

What looked like green veins began to creep up the body of the tree, tracing all around the trunk up towards the highest branches far up in the sky. The tree shuddered briefly before nine thick branches shot out from around its body, each one bearing what appeared to be a large cluster of leaves on the ends.

"Ms Kusunoki, please verify the signals once again. It seems to have stabilized." Sakaki ordered as he watched the glowing green veins pulsate along the tree.

"A-Ah… yeah!" Licca nodded as she shook off a headache and pulled out a small tracker. She flicked through the menu and selected the signals belonging to Soma and Mithgail.

The small machine worked for a second, the screen remained dark before a diagram of the tree appeared. "There!" Licca yelled, pointing to the branch on the far left, "Their signals are coming from there!"

Alisa felt her heart soar, immediately grabbing her Arc and the terminal before running to the branch. "Come on Sakuya! It's been way longer than two minutes, another unit will be bound to arrive here any second!"

Sakuya felt her eyes dart between Alisa and the two scientists beside her. "What if we can't come back, Alisa!" She called out, making Alisa freeze.

"Don't worry about that, if this Aragami does what I think it does, there should be a counterpart where that will send you," Sakaki suggested, brushing off his knees.

"And what do you think it does…?" Sakuya asked, eying the dormant Aragami cautiously.

"I believe that each of those branches represents a different place, coming to nine in total." Sakaki began, "Seeing how Mithgail and Soma were devoured but not killed by this Aragami, I think it is safe to assume that it sends what it devours into a separate reality within itself. When it first devoured them, it was incomplete so they could have been sent to two separate realities however luck was on their side, and in turn ours as well. All we need to do it touch the branch that we wish to be devoured by."

"Are you trying to tell me that this Aragami sent Soma and the Captain to a different world?"

"Essentially."

"..." Sakuya turned away from him and walked over to Alisa. "He's finally snapped…" She whispered before pushing Alisa forward a bit.

"We're going in…?"

"He hasn't led us in the wrong direction yet… I doubt there are separate worlds but I do believe there may be a way back if we can pick up their signals."

"If we don't come back, I hope wherever we get stuck is nicer than here." Alisa frowned as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Me too." Sakuya held her Arc with both hands after she tied the portable terminal to the side of her hip. Alisa did the same and let out a nervous laugh.

"On three…?"

Sakuya nodded, "On three."

"One."

"Two."

"Wait!" Sakaki called out, running up to meet the girls. "I'm coming with you two!"

"Doctor?!" Licca yelled in surprise, her face mimicking the shock on the faces of Alisa and Sakuya.

"Oh don't be so surprised! I'm a scientist, the thought of alternate worlds and realities is my greatest fantasy!" Sakaki waved off their shock with a grin. "Alisa set that terminal up here and set the frequency to ninety-three, forty-four."

"I- uh… sure?" She glanced at Sakuya before unclipping the terminal and setting it on the ground next to the trunk. It booted up once she activated it and it unfolded before building itself up to resemble the terminals in their quarters. Alisa looked over at Licca who seemed to be on the verge of a meltdown as she input the numbers. "Done…"

"Great! Now, remember those numbers."

"Doctor, you can't be serious! What about your research and duties here?!" Licca snapped as she stared up at Sakaki, making her way over to him.

"My team is more than capable of handling those projects. The branch will survive without me."

"Nngh…" Licca ground her teeth before she glared at Sakaki "Fine! If you're going there to research, I'm going to help maintain their God Arcs. The terminal can only do so much!"

"Licca!" Alisa snapped, spinning to face the mechanic.

"I'm not wrong, besides, all four of us can be tried as traitors for keeping this Aragami a secret, so we may as well go into hiding as a group." Licca grinned, her hands settling on her hips.

"Well, by that logic you're not wrong…" Sakuya muttered, nodding in reluctant agreement. "What about the people here? Don't the two of you have serious roles?"

Sakaki and Licca shared a look before shrugging.

"I spend most of my time alone, all my notes are on my desk if anybody wants to finish my work." Sakaki wandered past Sakuya and examined the branch.

"As for me…" Licca drawled as she walked over to the terminal before pulling her communicator out. "They can contact me if they need help, hopefully," She linked the terminal to her communicator before pulling up a list of access points on the terminal screen. "This station may be destroyed, so as a backup," Licca selected her own personal terminal and added a second link to her communicator. "I'll connect it to my own back at the branch. The signal may be weak until we can set up some kind of station wherever we end up, but they'll get through if they call. I'm almost sixty percent sure!"

"What is it with you and the Doctor betting on low odds?" Alisa deadpanned before turning to Sakuya, "We can't stop them…"

"I'm aware." Sakuya sighed before nodding. "Fine, you two can accompany us, Licca do you have everything you need for repairs?"

"Everything important!"

"Doctor, do you have… well, you don't really need anything." Sakuya cut herself off before she heard the buzzing of their radio.

" _First unit, please return to base. It was a false alarm."_

"It's now or never…" Alisa whispered as she turned towards the black branch, forcing the lump down in her throat.

"Well, let's go then!" Sakaki exclaimed, motioning for the three girls to join him.

"On three," Sakuya said softly, standing shoulder I shoulder with her current teammates. "One, two,"

" _Vice-Captain Tachibana, come in. Please broadcast your location for extraction."_ Hibari repeated over the radio, waiting for a reply that would never come.

"Three!" Sakuya leapt forward, squeezing her eyes shut as her body hit the mass of stabilized Oracle cells. She felt it latch onto her body before slowly pulling her inside it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alisa, Licca and Sakaki going through the same experience.

Both Alisa and Licca looked a little worried as the Oracle cells enveloped them, especially Licca who had no protection unlike Alisa and herself. Sakaki, on the other hand, seemed to be suppressing his laughter, excitement flooding through his body as the four of them were sucked through the black barrier separating them from the unknown world on the other side.

' _Please let us get that eight percent…'_ Sakuya pleaded in her mind as all feeling flooded from her body.

Suddenly, it felt like she was in free fall. She opened her eyes and felt them widen to their limits at the sights before her.

Gone was the metal ring that was Aegis island, the metallic environment being replaced by black space. Brilliant lights flickered to life around her, forming swirls and then moulding into loose shapes.

Her pupils dilated as they were assaulted by the colourful display, her eyes darted left and right, she was alone. Alisa, Sakaki and Licca were nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, she felt her body hit was felt like the surface of water. Instinctively she held her breath, her body submerging itself in the water before she felt her body stop moving.

She was stationary in the nothingness, surrounded by swirling masses of colour and silence. Sakuya tilted her head back and stared up at the water she had just fallen through. Reaching up, she pressed her palm against it and felt how hard it actually was. ' _It's glass…?'_

Behind her reflection in the glass, Sakuya watched a new mass come to life. She spun around, small lights flickering to life as the new mass began its first cycle, a swirl of white sucking in all the darkness around it. ' _What… is this…?'_ She thought to herself, subconsciously reaching out towards it.

The space around her froze once again, before her body shot towards the swirling mass, everything around her becoming little more than a blur of colour. Suddenly, as she was nearing the mass, she was blinded by an unseen light.

Once her vision returned, she found herself staring through the centre of the mass. Her senses were assaulted by the scent of saltwater, airborne creatures were chirping in the air. In the distance, she could hear some creature singing in the distance before submerging itself underwater. She was greeted by the sight of a vast ocean before everything froze over. The landscape then changed to one of rock and earth. Vicious creatures littered the land now, varying between four-legged and bipedal giants.

' _These are… I believe they were called dinosaurs…?'_

Winged creatures cawed as they soared through the red-tinged sky. The tree and bushes bristled as the land creatures ran from an unseen force. A harsh wind blew through the land as a brilliant flash of light erupted far off in the distance. The creatures of land, air and sea, cried out as the world was engulfed in a merciless fire, turning everything to ash.

' _What is this?!'_ Sakuya shouted in her mind as she watched the lush and green land burn away before once again, everything changed.

Now barren and empty, the world was covered in ash. From the ash, Sakuya watched as figures began to form. They varied in shapes and sizes, some as small as a worm while others were the size of elephants or bigger. Each of the creatures bore a cold white mask, every one of them wreaking havoc on the land. Soon after their birth, she watched a new creature crawl forth from the ashes. It bore the shape of a man. These new creatures fought against the old, violent ones and eventually began to terraform the barren world. The land was soon covered with lush forests and brilliant oceans once again, four kingdoms were erected across the lands each one of them sharing a common goal.

' _Ugh… my head…!'_ Sakuya reached up and grasped her head, squeezing her eyes shut. As she fought through her headache, her body lurched forward before she felt her back slam against the ground.

"Huuaah!" She gasped as the air was knocked for her lungs, her teary eyes cracking open. "W-Where am I…?" She whispered as she stared up at the bright blue above her, still struggling to focus on what she was seeing.

"Sakuya!"

Her head tilted to the side and she watched what looked like Alisa rush over to meet her. She felt Alisa grab her shoulders and help her sit up. "Alisa…? What happened?"

"We made it! Dr Sakaki was right!" Alisa exclaimed, steadying Sakuya.

"Made it?" Rubbing her eyes, Sakuya blinked the blurriness away. She was surrounded by trees and plant life, the sound of rushing water in the distance. "You mean, we're in another world?"

"Yes!"

"We're in another world… we did it, Alisa!" Sakuya exclaimed, pushing herself up off the ground. She turned around, taking in all the life around her. "Ah! Where are Licca and Dr Sakaki?"

"They're just over there, I was checking on you to see if you were okay. You've been unconscious for a few hours." Alisa replied as she hugged Sakuya, "Come on, we need to set up a camp. Dr Sakaki said we should get our bearings and rest today, we'll move out tomorrow."

"Ah… yeah. Lead the way." Sakuya smiled as she hugged Alisa back, before letting the younger girl lead her out of the woods and into a small clearing where Sakaki and Licca sat working on the terminal.

' _We're coming Captain… just hold on!'_ Alisa declared to herself as she absentmindedly stared off into the distance ' _We're almost there.'_

* * *

 ** _Hello again! So, a few things._**

 ** _First, this chapter marks the end of the introduction arc! Chapter ten will kick off a whole new arc._**

 ** _Second, I am debating whether or not I should ask for OC Grimm/Aragami if you guys have them. Would you guys be for or against that? Please let me know!_**

 ** _Third, This is just a thank you to all of you that stuck with the story thus far! I have plenty planned from this point onward, so I hope you enjoy!_**

 ** _As always, please follow and favourite! If you review (With a question or concern), I will PM you to try and clear up any issues. Hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you next chapter!_**

 ** _P.S, Apologies for any errors throughout the chapter!_**


	10. Embers of War

**Phew, here we are. Chapter 10. Double digits. Cool.**

 **Anyways, as I said last time; This marks the beginning of the new Arc. Hope you enjoy, see you at the bottom!**

* * *

Red and yellow leaves crunched under the cautious steps of one, Sakuya Tachibana. She had been awake for a few hours now, yet she still felt like she was in the world within her own mind. Never before was she presented with so much greenery, well in person. She had seen trees, bushes and the like in paintings and artistic representations of how the earth used to be- but never in person, at least not to this extent. Sakuya was reluctant to even believe it was real! Licca and Sakaki had all but assured her of how real everything was but they've been wrong before. Her eyes shot side to side as they scanned the treeline for any possible threats. There were none.

' _Impossible. Could this truly be a new world…?'_ She thought to herself, her fingers dancing along the wooden bark of the nearest tree as she dragged her hand down its' side.

She breathed deeply as a gust of fresh air tore through the flora, rustling leaves and branches alike. Her hair danced in the wind as for once in her life, she could relish in the world outside the walls of the Far East Branch without fearing for her life.

"Sakuya! Have you seen the Doctor by any chance?"

Her head slowly turned to face the voice, it was Licca Kusunoki. "No, I thought he was running tests on this forest with you ?"

"Weeell about that. I kinda took my eyes off him for a minute or two, just to focus on some specific samples and when I turned around he was gone." Licca chuckled as she scratched the side of her head nervously.

"..." Sakuya sighed, her hand peeled off a bit of bark as she walked away from the tree. "I'll go look for him, you-"

"I'll do it! Don't worry, Sakuya. You stay here and watch over Licca." The newest voice belonged to Alisa Amiella, who eyes were currently filled to the brim with wonder.

"Are you sure, Alisa? You don't want to relax a bit?"

"Haha, I'm okay." Alisa chuckled before she waved her hand, "You're the one that woke up dizzy if anybody needs rest- it's you."

"She's not wrong, I'm gonna have to side with her on this one…" Licca said gently, her lips formed a small apologetic smile when she heard Sakuya sigh in defeat.

"As you wish, but be careful! We don't know enough about this land to run around carelessly. The Aragami here could be of a different species." Sakuya warned, her assent elicited a smile from both girls.

"Or there could be _no_ Aragami here…" Alisa drawled earning a sharp, yet worried glare from the older soldier, "I'll be careful! Just being an optimist for once y'know haha…" She turned with a nonchalant verbal agreement before she walked away from their temporary base.

"I mean it, Alisa! Don't let your guard down!" Sakuya yelled out after the teen, who raised her hand in the air.

"I won't-" The hand reached out to grab hold of the large red arc that was leaned up against the side of a tree before Alisa held it at her side, "Promise!" Her form vanished in the sea of green life as she set out to find their missing Doctor.

"She's gonna be the death of me, I swear..." Sakuya grumbled, her fingers massaged the side of her temple while she squeezed her eyes shut.

"She'll be fine! Alisa knows how to take care of herself. Sakaki on the other hand…" Licca grimaced, "Let's hope Alisa can find him."

Sakuya forced a smile as she watched the young mechanic return to work on the portable terminals. She bit her lip while eyeing the path that Alisa had trotted down minutes before. "Yeah- So, how goes the maintenance?" Switching topics, the older woman crossed the short distance between her and Licca.

Her question was greeted with silence before Licca dropped the small tool she had been using. "Slow-," she shifted to the side and pointed at a small circuit board "This little guy got fried on the trip over here."

"Any idea why?" Sakuya knelt beside Licca, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Well, my guess is that the oracle cells of the Aragami back on Aegis overwhelmed the circuitry of these terminals. They weren't built to handle cells that complex, especially from all angles at once." Licca frowned as she yanked her hand back, blowing on the red finger. "Note to self; don't touch that wire…" She hissed before diving back into the body of one of the terminals. "Uh, just make sure not to use your arc to exhaustion. We don't want Oracle poisoning to become a real concern."

"Yeah…" Sakuya drawled before she stood up and wandered away from the mechanic ' _I'll leave her to her own devices…'_ with a light sigh, she leaned up against the nearest tree and held her head in her hand. ' _What was that I saw before waking up? There was so much going on… and then those creatures… was I the only one?'_ Her eyes shifted towards Licca and she furrowed her brow, "It doesn't matter. I'll say something if I need to!" She assured herself while staring up at the blue sky.

 _ **Forest, New Land.**_

"Nettles! Sunflowers! Poison Ivy! This place is thriving with all matters of flora… Ah! Is that- it is! A clover!" Paylor Sakaki named plant after plant as he swept through the green landscape making sure he avoided any trees in his path. "Ah, I feel like I'm in a history book!" He exclaimed as he stared at the handful of flowers before he tucked them away in his robe. ' _But I suppose I must go back— I've wandered far enough.'_ With a heavy sigh, the doctor spun in place and began to walk.

He flicked his eyes from tree to tree, quickening his pace with every step. ' _A bit too far it seems… where am I?'_ His head spun as if it were on a swivel, left- right, and left again. Sakaki shook his head, wandered over to a nearby tree and leaned up against it. His eyes flicked up to stare a the brilliant blue sky that peaked through the curtain of leaves that rustled in the wind. As he crossed his arms, Sakaki noticed the shifting bush across from him.

' _A local?'_ He narrowed his eyes and took a cautious step forward, avoiding the scattered branches as to not alert whatever lurked behind the bush. ' _Or is it some beast…'_ The thought of a ferocious predator flashed across the forefront of his mind making him hesitate before he shook his mind clear. He sucked in a breath and knelt down before the greenery as his hands peeled the small leaf-laden twigs back.

Behind the bush was a small creature coated with brown fur, cheeks filled to the brim- almost comically so- two small black eyes wide as they stared at the sudden face on the other side of its hiding spot.

"Chipmunk…?" Sakaki whispered, tilting his head. ' _Such a small creature making such noise…?'_ He stared at the adorable rodent for a long while up until he felt a surge of hot air. He slowly craned his neck up and stared blankly at the piercing yellow eyes that glared out from behind a bony mask. "Not Chipmunk." Sakaki nodded before he twisted around and scrambled into a somewhat balanced run.

" **RRAAAGH!"** The creature roared as it reared up sending any and all fauna in the area into a desperate sprint.

As Sakaki ran, he caught sight of the earlier Chipmunk running alongside him. "Let's run together!" He reached down and scooped the tiny rodent up into his hand before tucking him away into his robe.

" **GAAAAGHH!"**

The creature howled as it barrelled after the Doctor, knocking trees out of its way. Razor sharp claws ripped into the fertile earth leaving long streaks in their wake.

Sakaki's sandals beat harshly into the ground as he sped along, holding the Chipmunk steady within his robe. "Hahaha! Can't catch me you big ugly— thing?!" Sakaki teased while he hopped over a fallen log, sparing a quick glance over his shoulder. "Ohh! Really big! Okay!" He exclaimed adding a few bounds to his strides in an attempt to widen the gap between him and the creature hunting him. ' _It's times like this I regret ignoring Mother and becoming a scientist! Sports would've been really helpful here…!'_ He cried in his mind as he tried to ignore his burning lungs, the heart that threatened to rip free of his chest and the dryness of his throat.

Tiny paws clutched at the fabric of his robe urging him to look down, the Chipmunk was looking towards a low hanging branch on Sakaki's left. "Aha! You truly are a genius !" Sakaki praised the petite rodent as he turned and ran for the tree branch. He heard the loud growl of irritation as the giant beast skidded to halt being knocked around by its weight.

The doctor ducked under the branch and grabbed hold of it, pulling it back until his feet dug deep into the ground to keep the branch from flicking back. His eyes focused on the raven black beast as it barrelled towards him. "I may not be a fighter… or a God Eater…" Sakaki hissed through his teeth as his back strained, the branch splintering. The beast neared striking distance, it's jowls opening wide to tear the doctor in half "But I know science!"

With a cry, Sakaki pulled the branch back as far as he could and waited until the beast stood. As it's head raised, he unleashed the fury of Mother Nature. Wind whipped around the branch as it hurtled forward and smacked the beast in the side of the head, cracking its mask. On two feet, the beast stumbled back in a daze. "Haha! I wi-Ugh!"

Sakaki had the air ripped out of his cheering lungs as the branch snapped back and whipped him in the chest, knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. Gripping his chest, Sakaki propped himself up on his elbows and picked up his discarded glasses. He blinked away the blur as the glass settled over his eyes, the scene before him focusing. "Ah… it's not down yet…"

The creature sat opposite of Sakaki with only the branch as a barrier. Its paws rested on the ground while it shook its head side to side rapidly. A cracked white mask settled on the downed doctor before the body rose and charged.

Massive claws tore the offending branch to shreds, heavy footsteps stumbled towards Sakaki as the creature leaned over.

Sakaki scrambled away as he struggled to satiate his burning lungs, his face inches away from his impending demise. The saliva dripped from the beasts feral fang and splattered onto the doctors' glasses before a loud clap filled the air.

The bony white mask splintered from ear to ear as it shattered in a brilliant display of shards. Yellow eyes lost their light as the beast fell lopsided, the side of its head caved in around a small hole. Suddenly, it turned to ash.

"Sir! Are you unharmed?"

Stunned Sakaki spun his head to face the newcomer. "Ahh… Alisa…" He sighed and fell back letting his back hit the ground. "Yes. I'm perfectly fine…"

"Are you certain…? You seem to be hurt?" Alisa mused as she approached the downed doctor and knelt beside him. "You're even bleeding."

Craning his head down, Sakaki pressed his bare palm against his stomach and pulled it away red with blood. "Must've been the branch…" he muttered as he slowly waved Alisa off, pushing himself up.

"Ah… be careful." She chided as she took hold of the doctor's arm and helped steady him. "Come on, I'll bring you back to the Camp. Sakuya can check it…!"

"Alisa?" Sakaki turned to face the suddenly silent and astounded teen. "Is the wound worse than I thought?"

"No… it just he's adorable!" Alisa exclaimed as she stared at the tiny chipmunk that was peeking out from the confines of Sakaki's robes. "Ahh… ahem! Let's go." She composed herself before leading Sakaki through the woods and back towards their encampment.

 _ **Camp, New Land.**_

"Hehehe~" Alisa giggled as she rubbed the belly of the chipmunk with her finger. "We have nothing like you at home… awh I wish I could bring you home with me…"

The Chipmunk was resting on the root of a tree, arms stretched above its head as the teen kneeled in front of it.

Sakaki sat a few feet away from Alisa, his robe around his waist so Sakuya could inspect his wound. They all indulged in their own versions of peace, whether it was playing with wildlife or bandaging a wound. None of them had that opportunity at home.

"I'm sorry, but we need to discuss this." Licca sighed when she pulled away from the blinking terminal. "You said that something attacked you, but it wasn't an Aragami?"

"Ah. Yes." Sakaki nodded, letting out a hiss as Sakuya wiped the dirt out of his cut. "It was clearly an unnatural being, like our Aragami, however, it was affected by something as simple as a branch. When I hit it, the mask on its face cracked."

"What about your arc, Alisa?" Licca called out, nodding at Sakaki before turning to the novice God Eater.

"So soft— Ah. My arc?" Rubbing the chipmunk's chin, Alisa shrugged. "It was actually really effective. My bullet was met with virtually no resistance, it just… blew up."

"Hmm…" Pursing her lips, Licca turned back to the terminal, "Sakaki if you've got any ideas, let me know."

"I have a few. But I'd rather explore this land some more before pursuing any of them… Ah! Please, not so tight …"

"Oh hush!" Sakuya groaned stepping away from the doctor, "You survived in our world, a small cut like this isn't that bad." The dark-haired woman smiled as the doctor fiddled with his bandage. "Back to business though, I don't think you should be exploring. Leave that to Alisa and I, you can stay here with Licca to help her analyze data. Besides, if you died we'd be in trouble."

"I don't see why I should be prohibited from exploring, but I'll comply. I think I prefer more standoffish positions anyway." Sakaki pushed himself up and fixed his robe.

"I think we all knew that…" Alisa muttered, cupping the Chipmunk in her hand before standing up, "So? What's the plan? Recon?" Her eyes flicked between Licca and Sakaki, the Chipmunk crawling up her arm to sit on her shoulder.

"More or less, I want you two to venture out and look for any signs of civilization. I think our first step now, needs to be a permanent base, not one that's… well, a forest."

"I agree, as much as I'm loving the nature here… I'd prefer to work somewhere dry and stable." Licca wiped some of the sweat away from her eyes before turning to stare at Sakuya and Alisa.

The two girls shared a look before Sakuya tilted her head, "What did we do?"

"Don't you find it hot?"

"No."

"Nope."

Licca shook her head and chuckled, "Haaa whatever, just go. I think it'd be best if we were at least out of the forest before nightfall." Setting the tool in her hand down, "If you don't find any civilization then at least look for shelter. Okay?"

"Sure, we're on it." Sakuya eyed Sakaki "Don't run off this time, you were gone for less than ten minutes and you're already in bandages… geez." Turning away from the two non-fighters, she nodded at Alisa and grabbed her arc.

"Off we go?"

"Off we go." Sakuya smiled and led the younger girl through the woods. They walked and chatted about many things until they were out of sight.

"Don't run off…" Sakaki shook his head and turned to Licca, "Treating me like a kid. I _am_ her boss…"

"But you're also still a kid, well at heart in the least." Tossing a screwdriver up, Licca continued "You wouldn't be as smart as you are otherwise. Besides, we all love you the way you are."

"Now you're just buttering me up."

"Hehe, guilty as charged~" Licca chuckled, "Hey, come check this out. I managed to get the surveyor up and the land map is generating now."

"Oooh! Let's see." Sakaki hurried over to the unsteady terminal and watched the green lines contort on the screen.

"It's almost like a desert, don't you think?" Licca tapped on the glass screen, tracing the multiple slopes with her finger.

"Not _like_ it _is_ a desert." The doctor clarified, watching the ever growing land. "See? We're here—," He began tracing his finger down an uneven line, "This must be the edge of the forest. And these two dots are our God Eaters, see how they've crossed the line?"

"It could be a flatland though, what makes you say it's a desert?" Licca pulled away from the terminal and looked up Sakaki. Her eyes widened as she looked around, "How did I miss it?!"

"Yes, it's the;"

"Heat!" Licca clapped her hands and smiled up at Sakaki.

"Trees." Shaking his head, Sakaki shrugged. "I suppose the heat works too, however that also could've been in a rainforest."

"Yes yes, I'm aware. I just wanted to play around haha, it's the trees since the air is dry. There is little to no moisture in the air so it's hard to breathe, not to mention the bark is chipping closer to the trunk."

"Very good!" Sakaki nodded before his eyes locked on the flashing arrow in the corner of the screen. " …"

"What's up?"

"Can you move the projected map?"

"Uh… yeah? We won't be able to scan anything since it will be surveying land that isn't within its proximity. Why?" Licca tilted her head, eyes filled with confusion.

"I want you to follow this arrow until we see what it's leading us to." Sakaki knelt down and pressed the face of his thumb against the terminal monitor to help direct the teen.

"Ah? I suppose, why?"

"Just bear with me for now." Sakaki waved her off,

Shrugging, Licca began shifting the screen to the side while watching Sakaki analyze the poorly generated land map.

"This terminal picks up bracelet transmission right?"

"Yeah, why would— oh! Do you think it's them?!" Licca exclaimed earning a silent nod from the doctor. Elated, Licca began shifting the screen faster and faster, before it refused to move any more. "That's as far as we can see…"

Sakaki pulled his thumb away and stared at the place where the arrow was. In its place was the pixelated edge of something. "Licca, how similar is this terminal to the one in the Far East? In terms of tracking capabilities?"

"Erm… they're fairly similar. Are you concerned about accuracy?"

"No, I want to know if it's possible to change the displayed information. Can we bring the operatives codenames up?"

Licca stared at the monitor before shaking her head, "Not normally no. This specific model was used mainly to help God Eaters in the field track their targets by resonating with their Oracle core, not for keeping track of their fellow teammates."

"..." Biting his cheek, Sakaki thought. At length, he spoke, "Can you modify it to make that possible? Nothing fancy, just enough to display the name of the operative that a bracelet is linked to."

"Uh… yeah. If I have the time to do it, it's not a quick thing to do. Unless we were both working on it that is."

"Then we'll both work on it. I want this terminal upgraded before we do any more exploring. If that signal was what we're thinking, that's the direction we need to head in."

"Then I suppose we'll set the second terminal up later." Licca pushed the other terminal away and shifted over to Sakaki could get in position, "Let's begin then…"

 _ **Forest Edge, New Land.**_

"Ahh, so _that's_ why Licca was asking if we found it hot…" Alisa muttered as she bent over to scoop a bit of sand into her palm. "We were right next to a desert…"

"Alisa!"

Dropping the sand, Alisa brushed her hand off and stood up. "Coming!" Pulling her arc from the sand, she ran into the desert and caught up with Sakuya.

"Don't stray too far, not until we know this land more. It's safe to travel in groups, even if it's slower." Sakuya chastised before nodding to something in the distance, "Our destination is the top of that massive sand dune. From its peak, we should have a pretty cumulative view of our immediate surroundings, or we'll at least be high enough up for me to scout with my arc."

"Ugh…" Alisa dropped her head in defeat and trudged behind Sakuya, "I may not feel the heat, but I feel the sand in my boots…"

"Look at the silver lining," Sakuya began as she hoisted her arc up onto her shoulder, "We won't get sunburns!"

"Yeah… Great haha…" Alisa kept her eyes locked on the top of the sand dune, ' _Y'know… it's not like I wanted a tan or anything…'_

The two girls fell silent as the hiked up the sandy terrain, their shoes shifting uneasily as the unstable ground beneath them moved with every step. After a good ten minutes, they managed to reach the top.

There was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see, with the forest at their back being the only hint at life, Alisa dropped to her knees and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Great, we wound up in hell. Yay." With an outstretched hand, Alisa drew small circles in the sweltering sand.

Sakuya bit her lip and knelt down. Resting her arc on the sand, she pressed her eye up against the scope and began looking for any signs of life. ' _Come on… there has to be something…'_ Shifting the sight, Sakuya found nothing but drifting sands being carried across the barren landscape by the hot wind.

"Ah…? What's this?"

Pulling away from her arc, Sakuya glanced over at Alisa, "Did you find something?"

"It looks like a flower…" Leaning down, she grabbed the stem of the flower and pulled up on it, "Ngh…" Alisa grit her teeth as the flower seemed to fight back.

"A-Alisa!"

"What…?" Relaxing, the blonde looked over at her partner, "You seem scared…? Is something wro-AH!" The teen let out a squeal as the sand beneath her shifted and began to rise.

"Tch…!" Rolling away from the rising beast, Sakuya gripped her arc and knelt on the far side of the dune.

"It's not a flower! Sakuya, It's definitely NOT a flower!" Alisa screamed as the creature stood to its full height.

Coming in at just over nine feet, the creature shook the remainder of the sand off its upper body. It crawled forward, digging the rest of its body out from its hiding place in the sand. Alisa sat on top of what the girls assumed to be it's head, the sandy brown of its body slowly faded into the white and black of a mask.

Once it's sandy lower half was free from the earth, and wriggled and reared up, two giant pincers snapped angrily together, the serrated edges shone with a clear liquid. The creature glared at Sakuya its two beady red eyes from the centre of its mask.

"I can see that, Alisa! Just hold on!" The creature bristled as it watched Sakuya hoist her arc up to shoulder level. Without looking through the scope, she fired off a shot with the hopes of having the creature buck Alisa off.

As the bullet careened through the dry air, it sunk into the long body of the creature before it ripped clean out further down.

" _ **GEEEEEGH!"**_ It screamed as its massive spider-like body shifted to the side. Eight long, segmented legs scuttled down the side of the dune, piercing the sand deep to keep it from sliding. A sort of green liquid spilt from the bullet wound towards the back of its body, a loud hissing filled the air as it dripped into the sand.

' _It's acidic…'_ Sakuya grit her teeth and looked down the scope of her weapon. ' _I wonder if it's strong enough to get through our oracle cells.'_ Her finger danced along the side of her sniper as she eyed the joints on the scuttling legs.

" _ **GEE-YEAAGG!"**_

Her eyes snapped wide open at the pain filled howl, darting up to stare at the top of the creatures head, she watched as Alisa ripped her arc free of the creatures head. The red blade was coated with the green substance, dripping onto the back of the beast. "I'm okay…!" She ran forward to look down at Sakuya, "Just gotta hop do- Ah!"

"Alisa?! What is it?" Sakuya yelled, firing off a round. The force of the shot disrupted the sand beneath her, making a small crater as the bullet ripped through the segmented legs on the creatures left.

"I'm higher than I thought! I can't jump down…!" Alisa fell back as the beast jerked, sending her and her arc rolling to the other side of its massive body. "N-No you don't!" She drove the blades arc into its back, carving a long gash down the length of its body.

" _ **GEEEEEHHHH!"**_ It let out a loud ear piercing scream before it began stumbling side to side, eventually it's right side gave out and it fell.

"W-Wha…? S-Sakuya! Heeeelllp!" Alisa screamed as both she and the beast hit the ground with a splash of bright green before they rolled down the far side of the dune kicking up a cloud of sand with their violent descent.

"...!" Sakuya ran forward and dug her heels into the side of the dune, pushing herself into a controlled descent. Bringing her arc up, she watched the massive creature roll before it erupted into a cloud of black ash, no signs of the acid anywhere. She quickly hurtled passed the pile of ash and drove her arc into the ground to come to a stop. "Alisa…?"

Said teen was sitting at the edge of the dune, shaking the sand from her hair, covered in the acid and ash from the creature. "Let's just uh… forget about that okay?"

"..." Sakuya bit her lip and tilted her head, "F-Forget about what? I'm sure that it'll wash away after a shower or two… it's not as bad as the Vajra guts you doused yourself with."

Alisa retched at the memory but shook her head, "Not that… I mean the whole fear of heights thing…" Wiping the liquid away from her eyes, she stood up.

"Ah, consider it forgotten. Everybody is afraid of something, no reason to be ashamed." She reached out and helped Alisa steady herself, ' _She is still pretty new… I doubt that she knows the extent of her abilities yet anyway.'_ Sakuya smiled gently, "It could've been worse though."

"How's that?" Patting her skirt down, Alisa grabbed her arc and turned to her partner, curiosity written across her features.

"The acid could've been strong enough to hurt."

"It was acidic?!"

"Maybe…" Sakuya winked and turned away from the now panicked teen. Alisa searched herself for any burns before she sighed and glared lightly at the black ash further up the dune.

"Whatever… let's go." Turning her head, Alisa smiled at her shoulder, "Huh? W-Where'd he go!"

"Alisa? What's the problem now?"

"The chipmunk! It's vanished!"

"Ah. It could've run back to camp during our break near the edge of the forest, I wouldn't stress about it." Sakuya waved her hand, prompting Alisa to pout and jog to catch up.

"You're probably right…" Alisa muttered dragging her arc behind her, "So, where are we?"

Ignoring the worry in Alisa's voice, Sakuya shrugged, "I have no idea, so far wherever we are has everything that we didn't. Lots of animal life, fresh air, no Aragami hunting us— yet. All I know for sure is that we're not at home."

"That's helpful…"

"Oh? Let's see you contribute something more helpful then!" Sakuya snapped, shooting a playful glare at Alisa over her shoulder.

"Me? Hmm…" Alisa pursed her lips, looking around, "There's a group of people with some kind of vehicle over there." She pointed to a small convey of humans not too far from their current location. "Helpful enough?"

"..." Sakuya stared at the blonde before changing directions, heading for the convoy, "Beginners luck…"

"Hehe~" Alisa giggled at the blushing Sakuya, following quietly after her.

 _ **Convoy, New Land; Desert.**_

The small group of humans hoisted large black crates into the backs of their Jeep-like vehicles. Among the six or seven people loading the back of the vehicle, none of them had any skin exposed. They all wore hooded tan robes save for the one that sat on the top of the vehicle's roof. She wore her hood down, watchful eyes inspecting the incoming cargo like a vulture.

Sakuya and Alisa watched from afar, arcs hidden behind the small dune on either side of them.

"Why didn't I just watch them from even further back? This is an unnecessary risk." Sakuya whispered, her eyes dancing from worker to worker.

"It'd have been safer, but we wouldn't hear them if they talk. Don't you think that's important?"

"Ah… I suppose." Glancing at Alisa, Sakuya sighed and relented, "Any sign of hostility and we're gone. Okay?"

"No problem, I've had enough excitement today with letting an Aragami devour me and everything." Alisa nodded in agreement, "Now, let's see who these guys are…"

Both women fell silent, keeping themselves low in case one of the workers decided to look up for once.

"Let's go… hurry it up!" The woman yelled, "This respite won't last much longer! If we're going to make it home this week we need to leave soon!"

"AYE!" All the workers shouted in unison, kicking forward out of the gathering sand. They adopted a chain of sorts, working like the belt on a conveyor each one of the carried and loaded a box before joining the adjacent line to repeat the process.

"Get Home this week?"

Sakuya turned at the sound of the new voice, flinching as she saw Sakaki laying in the sand beside her.

"Doctor?!" Alisa exclaimed before sinking closer to the ground, covering her mouth, "What are you doing here…?" Lowering her voice to a whisper once more, she stared over Sakuya at Sakaki.

"Well, Ms Kusunoki finished her repairs on one of the terminals so we decided to follow a signal. It led us over this way, meeting up with you two was pure coincidence."

"A signal…? You followed our signal?" Sakuya tilted her head, craning her head to find Licca. She was further down the dune, doing some on-the-go repairs with the other terminal.

"Not you two alone, there is a response from further into this new land. We haven't discerned just how far in the response is actually coming from, but we do know that it _is_ in this direction-ish."

' _Direction-ish…?'_ Sakuya bit back her response, choosing to remain silent for the time being.

"A response? Do you think it's them…?" Alisa leaned up slightly, propping herself up on her arm.

Sakaki hesitated, watching the teen before sighing, "We aren't certain. However, there is a high chance that it might be. Just don't get your hopes up."

"I won't." Alisa quelled her building excitement and laid back down, trying to slow her racing heart, ' _Don't get your hopes up, Alisa. Like that's possible!'_

"So. Who are these guys? Mercenary's?" Sakaki turned his attention to the workers in front of the small group.

"We don't know, Alisa saw them a ways back and we just got here. Not long before you got here actually."

"Hm. Let's go introduce ourselves." Sakaki sat up, climbing over the edge of the dune against the protests of Sakuya and Alisa. "Oh relax! I'm sure they're completely friendly." Sakaki waved his hand at the two as he trudged towards the convoy.

"Shouldn't we follow him?"

"No… he'll be fine." Sakuya forced a smile as she watched the airheaded doctor approach the now alert convoy.

"Greetings, I am Dr Paylor Sakaki. May I speak with your leader?"

"He kinda sounds like one of those aliens in the movies on Kota's terminal." Alisa whispered, inching closer to the top of the dune.

"I come in peace, of course."

"That makes you sound more suspicious…" Getting up, Sakuya turned to Licca. "Hey," She called out, beckoning the mechanic up, "Come over here. We need to help Dr Sakaki. he got himself into trouble."

Licca tilted her head before gathering her stuff and running up the dune to meet Sakuya and Alisa, "W-What's he doing?" She asked when she came to a stop, panting slightly from running in the heat.

"Introducing himself to the locals. Alisa, you move up with Licca. I'll cover you guys from back here in the event that something happens." Pushing Licca up, the two girls gave her no time to protest.

"H-Huh? Wait a sec-!"

"Right." Getting up, Alisa took hold of Licca's hand before she led the dumbstruck mechanic over to the stammering doctor.

"Hold on, Alisa! Why am I going up with you?! I don't have anything to fight with if they're hostile!" Licca protested, digging her heels into the sandy earth, trying -and failing- to slow Alisa down.

"That's exactly _why_ you're coming with me, Licca. I've got my arc, and it's pretty intimidating!" Alisa proclaimed as she shifted the large crimson weapon around for emphasis, "You're barehanded, it'll help keep them calm," She smiled as the two approached Sakaki. ' _Hopefully.'_

Licca saw the futility in her struggles and relented, albeit reluctantly. "Geez, this is not the field work I'm meant for..." The mechanic sighed as she followed the younger girl over to the mysterious group, ' _The more he talks the deeper he digs his hole…'_ She deadpanned as the Doctor held his hands up when a bladed staff was aimed at him.

"W-Wait! I have proof, see?" Sakaki yelled as he backed away from the weapon, "Those two girls over there came with me, they're living evidence!"

Each of the hooded figures, save for the woman atop the truck, turned to face Alisa and Licca, weapons drawn and readied.

"H-Heya!"

"They don't look very friendly…" Licca whispered, moving closer to Alisa.

"I don't know… maybe this could be a custom?"

"Doubtful…" Licca and Alisa whispered to one another, maintaining a bit of distance between them and the flustered doctor.

"..." Curious, the woman atop the truck jumped down, two small dents forming in the sand beneath her. "The geezer here claims that he's from a faraway land and that the two of you accompanied him here. Is that the truth?"

"Yeah… though he was actually the one that accompanied me." Alisa smiled at the woman, slowly backing up as she walked forward.

"Hmm…" Moving passed Sakaki, the woman stopped inches from Alisa and Licca, slowly circling them. She silently observed them before, at length, she waved for the others to lower their weapons. "She's not lying, I'd know if she was."

"Haah…" Licca let out a sigh of relief, moving away from Alisa as the tension flooded from the air. "How would you be able to tell?"

"How?" The woman tilted her head for a moment before tapping her nose, "It's a predators instinct. I can smell fear and deceit, has something to do with hormones or whatever. I never really paid attention to that stuff." She turned and pointed at Sakaki before continuing, "He smelled nervous, so I found it hard to believe anything he said. Could've been a spy or something."

"I'm not nervous." Sakaki proclaimed, "Just a little skittish."

"There's a difference?"

"Enough for me not to be called nervous."

The woman shook her head and ignored the doctor, making her way back to the truck. "So, what are you guys doing this far out into the desert?"

"Just uhm… exploring. We wanted to see all of this world, so we thought we'd start here!" Alisa answered, loosening her grip on her arc as a sign of trust.

"Exploring, huh? So you _explorers_ just so happened to kill a Grimm without any serious trouble… What school do you train at?" The woman eyed Alisa's arc, before looking up to stare at the teens face, clearly unconvinced by her attempt at lying.

"Ah… school?"

"Yes, surely you must be top in your year if you can handle Grimm like that with just two people! It was rather impressive."

Alisa fell silent, aside from Sakaki's lessons she had never really attended school before. "Well, Uh…"

"She attends Fenrir's Military Academy in the Far East." Stepping in front of Alisa, Sakaki answered the woman's question. "As for her skill ranking, while not the best, she is certainly in the top five-, especially for her age. As her instructor, I'm extremely proud of her."

"Instructor? What do you teach then, Professor?" The woman narrowed her eyes, turning her attention to the once flustered man.

"Doctor."

Hesitating, she grit her teeth and nodded, "Fine, What do you teach, _Doctor._ "

"World History, Advanced Biology and Chemistry, beginner survival theory and I tend to give the occasional lecture on the lifestyles and digestive patterns of the monsters we all fight against." Sakaki smiled proudly, "Oh, and I teach sewing every other weekend. Just something to keep the kids calm, our homeland is rather hostile you see."

"Hmm, you are a rarity then." With a sigh, the woman pats the side of the truck, "I don't trust any of you, especially since you failed to tell me about the sniper over the dune back there… but I have to admit that you're not helpless nor useless." She glanced up at the dune where Sakuya had been positioned, nodding as she got up and began to make her descent. "There isn't a city for hundreds of miles from here in any direction, and we have a pretty bad storm coming in from the south. I'll bring you guys into town on the condition that you go in immediately for questioning. Is that cool with you guys?"

"What's in it for you?" Alisa questioned, blushing faintly at her earlier failure.

"I get to introduce a _doctor_ to the headmaster that teaches lost subjects." Stretching her arms she smiled, "Unlike the other nations, we don't have much need for practical sciences here, thus we don't have any professors that specialize in them. Call me old-fashioned, but I still think they're important even if we can't use them here."

"You want the Doctor in exchange for a ride?"

She nodded at Licca, turning to face Sakaki. "Well? It's not a contract or anything, just a potential interview."

The doctor hesitated for a split-second before shrugging, "I don't see why not, perhaps I'll find some students that actually care about my lessons. I agree with your terms."

"Haha, great! I'm that case, you three will ride with me. The doctor can ride in the cargo truck."

"Why am I separated?"

"Because my truck is a four-seater, and those three are women. Unless of course, you want one of your students to be locked in a van with a bunch of strange hooded guys?"

"I see." With a curt nod, Sakaki motioned for Alisa, Licca and the newly arrived Sakuya to follow the woman, "Go with her and be nice. She doesn't seem stable." He whispered to Sakuya before moving to climb into the nearest vehicle.

"Of course." Acknowledging Sakaki's orders, the eldest of the girls quickly caught up with her group and got into the woman's personal truck, never taking her eyes off the back of her head.

Once inside the truck, the woman turned the ignition key, prompting the engine to roar to life. "Alrighty, kids and lady. We'll probably get caught in the storm on the way back so in the event of a breakdown just keep your eyes and mouth shut!" As she finished talking, the truck lurched forward before the group began the long trek home.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

A low whistle echoed throughout the decrepit remains of what was once a village. Mithgail and Soma strode around the debris that littered the cracked and scorched cobblestone of the road.

"Population- nil." Soma grumbled, scratching his neck, "Again."

"They said it was bad… guess they had to make it look somewhat survivable."

Glancing to his left, Soma nodded, "Guess so. Even still… eight towns and we haven't found anything. It's getting to be less concerning and more irritating, and it doesn't help that the cowardly bastard refuses to even let us _in_ Haven. How the hell are we supposed to work in the conditions?"

"Oh, my~ Is the legendary Soma _whining_?!" Mithgail gasped in surprise, pressing his palm flush against his chest, "I wish I had a camera or something to capture this legendary moment!"

"I'm not _whining_ , my complaints are entirely justifiable." Soma snapped, glaring at the younger Captain.

"Uh-huh." Mithgail nodded, stabbing the blunt end of his staff into a rock before lifting it up. He craned his head slightly to see if there were any signs of life- be it fabric or blood.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Never."

"Tch…" Turning away from his curious companion, Soma crossed his arms and sighed. "I'm sick of this wandering, let's just break into the city. We'll get so much more done that way."

Mithgail ignored his words before tossing the rock away, "I mean- you're not wrong," Patting his knees off, stalking over to the closest thing to a house they'd seen in hours, "But is it _right?_ We can both get in there no problem, but those hunters aren't Aragami- or Grimm. If you hit them, they'll probably die."

"What do you mean by that? I know how to hold back." Spinning around, Soma watched Mithgail open the door with his staff.

"You're not invading the city. Ozpin is already upset with us, so let's not make the situation any worse than it is. Okay?"

"Whatever." Soma scoffed, tilting his head as he heard his partner fumbling around in the house. "What the hell are you doing in there?"

"Found a map!"

"What?"

"I said-," Opening the semi-functional door, Mithgail stuck his arm out with a slightly burnt parchment in hand. "I found a map!"

"Of Haven?" Curious, Soma approached the door and grabbed the map, unfolding it to read it over. "...!" As his eyes scanned the map, he let out a low gasp of surprise.

"Mithgail: 1, Soma: None." Grinning, the Captain slipped out of the house and pat Soma on the shoulder.

Despite tensions between them still being drawn taught, neither of the warriors could find it in their hearts to sour the mood any further. A silent agreement had been made between them- an agreement to keep personal issues off the field.

"We're at _least_ 1-1. I mean, I stopped a rampaging Shio."

"3-1, I caught a falling Yang AND protected both her and her partner while you fought Shio." Resting the staff on his shoulder, Mithgail stared up at the sky.

"You completely failed there- Yang got passed you."

"I _let_ her go."

Stuffing the map into his pocket, Soma huffed and turned around, "Fine. 3-1. But, we end this here."

"Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"The first one to find the target takes the victory, no complaints."

"Hmm…" Mithgail lowered his staff and pondered, at length, he shrugged. "Why not? I'll win 6-2."

"We'll see." Shaking his head, Soma pulled the map out "I'll go to check the next town over- I'd let you do it but you're still kind of iffy with verbal communication."

"Nuh-uh! I am _not_ giving you any advantages. You suck when it comes to looking through the environment. So, you wander around out here- and I'll find a village to inter- investigate."

"..." Soma narrowed his eyes before he reluctantly handed the map to Mithgail. "Fine. When you fail miserably, don't blame it on me having an advantage."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Glancing at the map, Mithgail nodded and swung his staff around. "I assume we're starting immediately?"

"Yeah, we are."

With a nod, Mithgail began walking farther up the road, in the direction of the next town. "Meet you tonight, we'll set up camp in this village here."

"Sure- Whatever." Raising his hand, Soma waited until Mithgail was out of sight before he turned and looked around the ruins. ' _In retrospect, maybe this bet wasn't the best of ideas…'_

Closing his eyes, he wandered over to a fallen building and dropped to his knees, pushing over a large piece of debris. Eying the ground, he pursed his lips and groaned. "I can't do anything with a mess like this." Getting up, he put his hands on his sides and looked around. "First things first, clean up."

He grabbed the sides of his jacket and pulled it off, tossing it onto the nearest broken post. Brushing his hair back, Soma started ferrying the debris closer towards the edge of the forest to clear the sidewalks and building foundations of the village.

' _I haven't thought about this till now… but what is our presence here doing to this world?'_ Furrowing his brows, he ignored the concerns that had welled up inside his head. ' _I wonder if the Captain can handle something like this? It's not like talking to a group of kids or a teacher- these are strangers.'_

Countless scenarios played out in his mind and he chuckled at each one, "I've got this bet already won." Smirking, Soma tossed a large slab of rock onto a nearby pile of debris out of the way.

 _ **Haven, Forest road.**_

"The next village should be just around this bed- it was rather close by thankfully." Scratching the back of his head, Mithgail glanced over his shoulder.

It had only been ten minutes since he left Soma back at their soon-to-be campsite, but it felt like an eternity had passed. "The last time I was alone like this, I fought off that Ouroboros. Soma yelled at me for acting too much like Lindow… that seems so long ago now."

Lost in his memories, Mithgail spun his staff in hand and rested it on the back of his neck. His hands hung over the staff and consequently, fingers tapping against the bottom of the smooth weapon. ' _Alisa was mad at me too… I wonder how she's doing?'_ His head tilted back so the endless blue of the sky reflected in his cerulean eyes. ' _She's never been great with stress, I hope Soma and my disappearance hasn't shaken her up too much, she still hasn't gotten over Lindow.'_

With a hefty sigh, he kicked at the ground sending a small cloud of dusty sand spiralling up and away from the path. "Jeez, here I am being all gloomy and it's such a beautiful day out… get it together self." He muttered to himself he lolled his head forward, his eyes catching the rising smoke from in the distance. "What…?"

Dropping the staff from his shoulder, he caught it mid-fall before he broke into a run. Forgoing the lengthy path, he dove into the brush and thicket before tearing through the forest. ' _That must be the village! What's going on over there?'_ Narrowing his eyes, he pushed his legs to move faster, small imprints marking his trail as he ran.

Nimbly evading the branches and natural dips in the ground, Mithgail eventually burst free from the forest and found himself standing in the centre of an open plain. A few hundred feet in front of him was a burning town, it's streets filled with people running or trying to fight. The perpetrator of this terror was no Grimm, but other humans.

"Raiders." Gritting his teeth, he spat the words out like poison from a wound before rushing to aid the innocent citizens. ' _With all this noise, they're sure to attract something- best deal with this as quickly as possible.'_

The grass gave way to dirt, followed by cobblestone as he hurried into the fray. "Let's see, I'll start here!" Quickly scanning the smoking town, the soldier set his eyes on a man clad in black, almost like he was wearing a shadow. The steel sword in his hand was streaked with blood, both dried and fresh.

With the raiders eyes locked on the elderly man in the courtyard, he was too preoccupied to notice the incoming attack. With a somewhat fluid swing, Mithgail knocked the raiders out from under him before bringing the edge of the staff down onto the invaders head. It snapped to the side before he stopped moving.

' _Hmm.'_ Turning away from the fallen man, Mithgail jogged over to the trembling senior. As he slowed down, he held his hand out for the old man to take hold of.

"T-Thank you…! Please, help the others as well!" With a quivering voice, the elderly man climbed to his feet with Mithgail's help.

"Mmm" Mithgail nodded at the senior before he spun on his heel and took off deeper into the village. ' _This is really going to set me back… but they need me!'_ Gritting his teeth, he spun his staff around in his hand before jumping into the air.

Holding the staff overhead, he swung down as gravity took over- forcing his body back towards the ground. A faceless raider had only a second to look up as the shadow overtook him. "AMB-!" His cry was cut short as the wooden staff smacked into the side of his unguarded skull, knocking him unconscious.

"Hah." Rolling his shoulder, Mithgail looked over his shoulder at the fallen raider before nodding. "Two down."

"Mister! Watch out!"

Caught off guard by the child's scream, Mithgail leaned back. His eyes widened as a bloodied chain unfurled in front of his face, the tip licking the end of his staff.

He shifted his footing and turned around, glaring at the distanced man holding the offending weapon. "We got a Hunter! Form up!" He yelled the length of his chain swishing around in a deadly arc by his waist.

"..." Mithgail narrowed his eyes as he dropped into the stance he mostly used while bearing his scythe. ' _They think I'm a hunter…?'_ Keeping himself on guard, he took stock of his surroundings.

There were eight raiders - three of which were equipped with bows of some sort. Four of them stood at his flanks while only one stood directly before him- the one with the chain.

"You don't look like you're from here- What kingdom are you from?" The lead raider raised his voice, and when Mithgail failed to respond, he whipped the ground with his chain, "Don't feel like talking, Hey? That's fine- I'd be scared if I was outnumbered like this as well. Tell ya what- let us kill you and we'll let everyone in this village live! Good deal, huh?"

"..." Rolling his eyes, Mithgail tilted his head and tapped the end of his staff against the cobblestone road. "You know… this is why I prefer fighting Grimm. They're far less irritating."

"Excuse me? What are you trying to say?"

"You talk too much, you should be quiet during a fight." Levelling his eyes with the leader, he jabbed the staff into the ground. The cobblestone splintered before collapsing into a small dent by his feet. ' _Three archers, top priority,'_ He absentmindedly toyed with the broken stone, sliding the debris back and forth with his staff.

"Denting the ground isn't going to scare us off. I hope that wasn't all you had to offer…!" Stepping forward, the leader extended his arm upward and ran towards his presumed prey.

"Wasn't meant to." Mithgail leaned back and swung forward, a loud clap reverberating around the small square as a piece of debris took flight.

It whipped forward, forcing the leader to jump aside. He winced as the serrated stone tore open his cheek before it hurtled past and connected with the furthest archer.

"Agh!" They cried out as the stone smacked into the fingers that were so tightly clenched around their bow. "Shit! M-My fingers!"

"Come on, is that really all it takes to hurt you?" Standing tall, Mithgail twirled the staff around idly while waiting for the raiders to make their move. "I thought this was going to be a challenge."

"You're quite the hypocrite, hey? Telling us to shut up, but here you are yapping away." The leader wipes the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, quickly bringing his chain back up to full spin.

"Eh, I don't talk much during my fights. This is just practice- you're the only ones at risk here."

"Bastard! Who do you think you are?!"

"Just a passerby." With that, Mithgail slapped another piece of debris away. It whistled through the air before it was swat down by an iron club, carried by a burly raider.

"Die..!" Lunging for Mithgail, the burly man started swinging his club wildly, aiming to swat his head clean from his shoulders.

"..." Mithgail leaned back and to the side, following the dim glint of the club with cerulean eyes. ' _Time to fly!'_ As soon as the man swung again, Mithgail gripped the staff and brought it down on the raiders shoulders.

"Ugh!" He loosed a grunt of pain, stumbling to the side.

Stepping forward, Mithgail struck behind the man's knee and forced him to kneel before jabbing his staff into the back of the man's neck. Using the pent-up motion, he let the impact carry him off the ground before launching himself higher up.

Now airborne, Mithgail watched as the remaining two archers took aim. Their bows snapped as the arrows took flight, soaring for the elevated God Eater. Both were stopped mid-flight by his staff as he spun into his descent.

He touched down behind the archer that stood to his left. "Hello!" Announcing himself, he lodged the staff into the earth once more before spinning around. His leg lashed out and caught the archer in the gut, carrying him around in the spiral before Mithgail kicked him away.

The archer flew back before crashing into the remaining archer on the other side of the square. "Ahem- that leaves three, right?" Stopping his spin, Mithgail stared at the remaining raiders. Two carried blades and stood behind their leader.

"Don't hide behind me-, go kill him!"

"Yes, Boss!"

"Aye!"

The two raiders ran in front of their leader and raced towards the now stationary Mithgail, who dislodged his staff and prepared to defend against the incoming attack. They struck in unison- left and right, up and diagonally, hoping to catch an opening.

Flicking his staff out, Mithgail swatted the first strikes away, using the time to drop back into his stance and grab the staff with both hands. ' _It's like a spear- just without the sharp end.'_

Manoeuvring his body to avoid the slashes and swings, Mithgail pulled his arms back before closing in on either of the Raiders. They turned their heads to find him, only to let out a united grunt as the staff slammed into their back and stomach respectively.

Mithgail twisted his upper body and jerked his arms into and away from his torso simultaneously. One raider was slammed into the ground while the other took to the air, their blades clattering to the ground.

Looking up, Mithgail nodded to himself and hooked the downed Raider through his belt with the staff before spinning around and swinging up to jab the falling Raider in the chest. Following through, he carried them both down before spearing them into the ground.

Pressing his foot against the back of the top Raider, he unhooked his staff and stepped over the two fallen fighters. "You ready to fight me now?" Tilting his head, he grinned at the seething leader.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Is that really the question you should be asking me?"

"What are you talking about?" Holding his stained chain up high, the leader narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"You tell me." Walking towards the man, Mithgail let go of his staff with one hand, holding it out to his side.

"Ngh- You're pissing me off!" The chain rattled as the leader threw it at Mithgail, the jagged tip screaming death as it made its way for his heart.

"Glad I'm doing my job right!" With a yell, Mithgail snatched the chain from the air and yanked it behind him.

"Wha-?!" The leader exclaimed as he lost his footing, the chain falling from his hands and clattering against the broken cobblestone. His eyes widened as he felt something bury itself in his gut, a mouthful of fluid exploding from his mouth as his body left the ground. "GUH…!" His vision faltered as the object retracted from his abdomen, letting him begin his descent only for the heel of Mithgail's boot to catch the side of his ribs, launching him across the village square before he hit the ground and rolled onto the grass.

"B-Boss?!"

Mithgail frowned and craned his head, staring at the archer from earlier. "Ah- I forgot about him…" Resting his staff on his shoulder, he wandered over to the panicking man. "Hey! How's your hand? Sore, I bet."

"D-Damn it…! Stay the hell away from me!" Scrambling away, he fumbled with his bow and tried nocking an arrow. "Ugh!" The bow fell to the ground as his broken hand acted up. "Shit…!"

"You really aren't very friendly, are you? I spared every one of your friends- not a single one of them is dead. Isn't that worth anything?" Tilting his head, Mithgail tapped his staff on his shoulder while resting his free hand on his hip.

"It means you should stay even further away from me! I-It was eight to one! How could you beat us all without killing any of us?!" The broken archer demanded, clutching his useless hand.

"Hmm… I'm not sure why that's a question. You just _watched_ me do it- so it shouldn't be that unbelievable." Mithgail grinned, kneeling down to meet the archer's glare, "You're gonna answer my question now- Okay?"

"Not okay! Like hell, I'm going to cooperate with you!" The Raider spat out in denial, shaking his head.

"Hm, let's try that again." Standing up, Mithgail brandished his staff and pressed it down on the man's hand. "You're going to answer my questions, or I'll make this even worse. You can say goodbye to your archery days if you push me any further."

"You're a Hunter- you wouldn't do something like this with all these civilians watching! Don't make me laugh."

"..." Closing his eyes, Mithgail raised his staff before slamming it down onto the back of the raiders hand.

"Nngh! AGH!" He let out a scream as the already broken bones cracked and splintered even further, his hand turning an unhealthy shade of purple.

"I'm doing this _because_ the civilians are here." Mithgail hissed, glowering down at the snivelling man, "I watched you and your _friends_ slaughter these innocents without hesitation. As far as I'm concerned, you're just as inhuman as the Grimm that inhabit this world. They need to know that their protectors won't stand idly by and make false promises while they're being killed."

"Y-You're a psychopath!"

"Am I really? You're the one that was trying to snipe fleeing innocents. I'm just dishing out well-earned punishment." Easing up on the pressure, Mithgail leaned back slightly, "Ready to talk? Or should I do some more? Though I have to warn you, I may have to amputate at one point."

"...!" The raider shook his head and forced himself to don a trembling smile, "I-I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"Great." Taking his staff off the man's hand, Mithgail squat down and laid staff across his knees. "So, who do you work for? The eight of you were rather organized for a simple group of raiders."

"Her name is… I can't tell you. B-But it's not because I don't want to! I-I can't! She controls people all across remnant- If I spill I'm dead!"

"If you keep anything from me, you're dead as well. Seems you're in quite the pickle now aren't ya?"

"F-Fine! But I have a condition!"

"Oh?"

"I want protective custody! Or at least arrest me!"

"The latter works, now spill." Narrowing his eyes, Mithgail urged the archer to continue.

"Fine… her name is Salem. She has her hand in every part of the criminal underworld you can think of! Even the ones you can't!" Lifting his broken hand, he cradled it to his chest and looked around. "We were an advance party, one of ten, sent all across Haven to raise the citizen's unease. Our task was to show the people that they needed her protection while the Huntsman and Huntresses were useless."

"I see. What is this _Salem's_ end goal?"

"World Domination… I think."

"You think?" Mithgail pressed, rolling his staff around suggestively.

"L-Let's not get hasty okay! I'm just a grunt… I'm not privy to stuff like that!"

"Who is?"

"Generals, higher-ups… people that aren't doing small time shit like this!"

"Names! Give me names!" Mithgail snapped, inching forward while tightening his grip.

"I-I… Damn it all…!" Stammering, the Raider looked around once again and took a deep breath. "Roman Torchwick, Adam Taurus, Ci-!"

"Hey, why'd you stop? Finish that last name!" Mithgail snapped, reaching out to grab the man's shoulder.

"Ci… Cin… GAAAGH!" The man's words escalated into painfilled screams as his body erupted into a living pyre. Flames sprang from the man's mouth and eyes before he was engulfed in flames.

"Shit…!" Pulling back, Mithgail leapt to his feet and spun around. His eyes scanned the tree line and beyond, refusing to overlook even the smallest of cracks. "Who's there?! There's no use in hiding, I'll find you eventually!"

As his eyes flicked from place to place, he managed to catch a flicker of light retreating into the woods. "Don't…! Damn." His legs urged him to run after the light, but he stayed still. "I can't just leave Soma like that- I'll have to drop it for now." With a sigh, he returned his staff to its rightful place on his shoulder before glancing down at the smouldering Raider. ' _What a horrible way…'_

"E-Excuse me?"

"...?" Mithgail perked up, glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the young woman that had called out to him earlier. "Yes?"

"You're a Hunter, right?"

"..." He pursed lips and tilted his head in thought, "I am a Hunter by nature, however not by occupation."

"You're not…? Then why did you help us?" The girl questioned, confusion washing across her features.

"Do I have to be a hunter to help people in need?"

"..." The girl fell silent, seemingly lost for words. It was the old man from earlier that managed to break the overbearing silence.

"You'll have to excuse her, unlike other Kingdoms, the hunters here don't go out of their way for small villages like us. Don't get them wrong though… we just have a lot of Grimm here, it'd be too risky to protect us." The old man pat the girl on the head, "Attacks like this are few and far between."

"That doesn't make it right." Mithgail frowned looking around, "Attacks like this should never happen."

"Such is life, young man. We've come to accept it, you needn't worry about us." Smiling, he reached out and grabbed Mithgail's shoulder. "Enough of this talk, introduce yourself!"

"I suppose I should, shouldn't I?" Adjusting his stance, he lowered his staff and moved his free hand to his chest, "I'm Mithgail, Ca-..." Biting his tongue, Mithgail scratched his neck, ' _This is a good a time as any to start spreading our name I guess.'_

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry." With a quick apology, Mithgail continued, "I'm the Director of Fenrir's Vale branch. We're an organization dedicated to producing Warriors to help combat the Grimm- much like the four Academy's."

"Fenrir…? My apologies, I don't believe I've ever heard of you before."

"You don't need to worry, we are a little side project of Headmaster Ozpin. We specialize in more high-risk missions so that Hunters and Huntresses can focus more on the citizens." Waving off the man's concerns, Mithgail continued, "Which brings me to why I'm here actually- There have been reports of a new species of Grimm in the area. Do you know anything about this?"

"I can't say I do…" The man frowned before his eyes widened in surprise, "Ah! Yes, I do actually. Rumour has it that the Grimm lives somewhere in the middle of the forest. It only seems to attack at night which is why I couldn't remember off the top of my head." Tapping his chin, the old man sighed, "Sorry, Director Mithgail, that's all I can tell you."

"It's more than enough, we'll begin the investigation within the forest then." Smiling, he raised his hand in parting, "Forgive me for fighting and leaving, but I have to return to my partner."

"W-Wait, please let us repay you somehow. You had no reason to risk your life, yet you did." An elderly woman called out, making him freeze.

"You're not going to take no for an answer are you?" Closing his eyes, Mithgail nodded in submission, "Fine, then spread the word about us. Just make sure you say it was Vice Director Soma that told you. Ozpin and I don't really get along, so I'd rather not create any more friction between us."

"Consider it done! All of Haven will know of Fenrir, courtesy of Vice Director Soma of course." The woman smiled, prompting Mithgail to chuckle and turn away. "Be careful, Mithgail!"

"You're always welcome here…! Just come in peace next time!"

The villagers saw him off before their words turned to silence.

Mithgail wandered through the brush and made his way into the forest. Once he was out of sight, he made his way over to a tree and sat down. ' _Talking to people really is exhausting… I think I overdid it.'_ Leaning his head against the tree trunk, he moved his hand to his throat. ' _That's what I get for trying to change that suddenly. Trying to intimidate that archer wasn't helpful either…'_ Closing his eyes, he grit his teeth. ' _I'm just going to stay here for a bit… I'd call my expedition a success anyways.'_

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

"Nnn…"

"Shio. I'm serious."

"But… you won't get anything even _if_ you make this work!"

"I'll get information about you. I'll be able to learn why you change so fast, doesn't that interest you?"

"..." Shio grit her teeth and held her arm out, looking away from the white-robed man in front of her.

After the incident in Forever Fall with Soma and Mithgail, Ozpin requested that Shio undergo several experiments in hopes of figuring out exactly _what_ made her react the way she did. Shio was, unenthusiastic to say the least. It may have been Ozpin himself running the tests- but something about giving her blood away just irked her.

"Thank you- now hold still." Ozpin took hold of Shio's arm and pressed the point of the needed against the most visible vein. "Countdown from three."

' _Three… Two… One…'_ Closing her eyes, Shio did as Ozpin said. ' _One. One..?'_ Tilting her head, she cracked open one eye and stared at her arm. "Mr Ozpin?"

"Yes- Sorry, Shio. It seems that your skin is harder than I expected." The headmaster released her arm and held the syringe up to the light. The point had snapped clean in half, "When I watched your fight with Corporal Shi-,"

"Call him Soma. It feels weird hearing his rank thingy." Shio interjected, pulling her arm into her chest.

"I assume the same goes for the Captain?"

"Nuh-uh. That's all he was called back home… I never actually knew his name until he was talking with you."

"As you wish- Now, as I was saying…" Ozpin tossed the syringe away and started pulling his gloves off, "When I watched your fight with Soma, he cut your cheek open with extraordinary ease… would you mind explaining to me why he could cut you?"

"Erm… it's kinda confusing even for me, but I'll try." Shio shifted on the bed and took a breath, "You See, we Aragami are made up entirely of something called Oracle Cells. We have trillions of them inside us and each one of them is alive, Soma could only hurt me because his Arc is made of Oracle cells as well. It's the only thing able to cut us."

"So you're telling me that I can't draw blood from you with an ordinary needle?"

"Nope. I thought I could control the oracle cells and make them a bit less strong… but it didn't work, sorry…"

"Don't apologize, it's just who you are." Crossing his arms, Ozpin sighed and looked around the room. "I hope you're spending this time to reflect, Shio. I don't like pulling my students away from their studies under any circumstances, however, this had to be done."

Shio flinched and frowned slightly, "I already said sorry, Mr Ozpin."

"Sorry isn't enough, Shio. You really hurt Ms Belladonna." Turning to face the young girl, Ozpin leaned against the wall, "I am aware that you couldn't control yourself, but that is _why_ I'm so concerned. What if you lose control like that again in the middle of a class? We can't always count on Soma and the Captain to be here to stop you, and as much as it pains me to say this, I doubt anybody here could do so in their place."

"I understand…"

"..." A slight smile crept across Ozpin's face as he watched Shio hang her head, ' _She comes across so…_ human. _Compared to that other Aragami I saw, she's totally different.'_ Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small gumball and tossed it onto the bed, "Enough of this serious stuff, I don't want to stress you. Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Questions? Sure… I guess." Shio straightened up in her bed and popped the cherry flavoured gumball in her mouth.

"Do you have any idea why you're changing so fast?"

"Changing?" Shio tilted her head in confusion, her eyes scanning her body, "I look the same, Don't I?"

"I meant emotionally, Shio." Ozpin clarified, "When you first came to us, you were super unstable. Then you were childish, then mature, then friendly, the list goes on. I know you mentioned something about being adaptable before, but there has to be more to it than just adaptability. A chameleon adapts to its surroundings, but it's still not supposed to be there. You aren't like that."

"Uhm… I… Hrm." Shio tapped her lap as she chewed on the gum, "It really is _just_ that though. I was told that back home, I grew up so fast because the oracle cells inside me changed to reflect the people around me. The same thing is probably happening here."

"I guess that means you'd act differently around specific people too… just like a human."

"Mmhm!"

' _That's rather unsettling.'_ Thinking to himself, Ozpin nodded, "Next, do you know why the Captain is so against working with me?"

"Honestly? I just don't think he likes you." Shio shrugged, "Back home, the old director really upset him… aside from being secretly evil and trying to kill me, you are kinda similar to him."

"Is that so… how? If I may ask."

"You built a system within a system to help further your own idea of peace."

"Oh? What system might that be?"

"Accepting people like Ruby and me into Beacon." Shio looked up at Ozpin and smiled, "You have a calculating personality, manipulative almost. Just like the director."

"You and Ruby are both _very_ capable. What I'm doing is for the good of the future, how is that manipulative?"

"Mr Ozpin, if a little girl can kill a man with a knife- should she?"

"Of course not."

"Then why should Ruby put her life on the line to learn? Just to protect…? She's a little girl compared to other students, and this education is the knife that she'll kill with. A knife _you_ handed to her." Shio's eyes turned downcast as she popped a bubble between her lips.

"..." Ozpin fell silent, watching Shio stare at the floor before she looked up. Her eyes widened and she jumped off the bed.

"Ah! I'm gonna miss it…!"

"M-Miss What?" Slightly startled, Ozpin watched as Shio hurried over to the couch and turned the tv on.

"Food with Fuschia!" Shio grinned and flicked to the channel off of what looked to be muscle memory. "Sorry Mr Ozpin, can we talk later?"

"I suppose…" He nodded and stood up, "I will come back this time tomorrow, have a good day, Shio."

"You too!" She called out and waved at him.

Taking that as his cue, he picked up his briefcase and left the apartment. The door closed behind him with a soft click while he stepped off the porch, his eyes struggling to look up at the school he was so proud of. ' _That can't be it. He was cold to me when we first met…'_

He shook his head in an attempt to forget Shio's words and made his way up the busy street, heading for Beacon.

 _ **Student Dorms, Beacon.**_

Team RWBY sat around in their room, drowning their boredom out with homework. Weiss struggled to tutor Ruby in math while Blake and Yang went over notes for their upcoming test.

"Uugh! Why am I even doing this, I'm gonna fail anyway!" Yang exclaimed, tossing her hands up in the air. "Ozpin said we had to stay on campus- he didn't confine us to our rooms…"

"He may not have- but I did. You're my teammate if you fail this class how do you think I'll look?" Weiss snapped over her shoulder as Ruby began working through the provided problems. "I won't have your slothfulness tarnish my reputation, now _study!"_

"Now study…!" Yang mimicked and leaned forward, "Hey, Blake, wanna go out?"

"Eh…?" Blake's eyes widened at the sudden proposal, "I Uh…"

"I bet we'll be able to sneak out… the warden can't teach Ruby _and_ watch us," Yang continued, turning to look at her partner "Are you sick? Why are you so red?"

"No reason." Blake closed her book and nodded, "I don't mind leaving, but do we really need to sneak out?"

"Well, no. But it's more fun that way, dontcha think?"

"I suppose so."

Yang grinned and quietly stood up, Blake followed her lead. The two teens made their way over to the door, turning the knob slowly. The door opened and both girls made their way out of the room.

"Bye, Yang!" Ruby called out, lifting her head from her book to wave goodbye to her sister. Weiss just shook her head in disappointment before pulling Ruby's attention away from her sister and back to her studies.

"See ya, Ruby! Ah- Damn." Yang replied on Instinct, hanging her head as Blake closed the door behind them, no longer trying to be quiet.

"Smooth." Blake sighed, staring at her now embarrassed partner. "Want to go say bye to Jaune and his team now too?"

"Shut it."

"..." Blake smirked at the blonde as she brushed past her and began walking down the hall.

"Where do you wanna go?" Yang asked, her hands locked behind her head. "Lunch? Wanna sneak into town?"

"If Ozpin finds out we left campus…" Blake drawled, following Yang nonetheless

"He won't! I'm sure he's too busy tearing the Mithgail and Soma a new one up in his office- he won't even see us leave!"

"You're on a first name basis with the Captain now?" Blake raised an eyebrow, picking up speed to walk alongside the blonde.

"I-Isn't everybody? It's Soma that people are super respectful with…" Yang stammered, genuinely caught off guard by her usually reserved roommate.

"Actually, it's the other way around. Nobody calls the Captain by his name- not even Shio, and she calls everybody by their name." Blake clarified, watching Yang from the corner of her eye.

"Haha, you're reading too much into this!" Yang forced a chuckle, patting Blake on the back, "Speaking of the squirt, how's your hand? It's looking better."

"It feels how it looks." Blake supplied, holding her semi-bandaged hand up for Yang to see, "I really thought she broke it, but the doctor was right. It was just a really bad sprain with some ugly bruises."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that your late night _research_ won't be affected much longer." Yang grinned, resting her hand on her chest, "I've heard those ninjas can be quite intense when they 'fight'."

"W-What are you talking about? Ninjas and things… you really are still a child inside."

"Oh? My mistake then…" Yang sighed, "It must have been Ruby's book under your pillow."

"...!" Blake flinched, her ears turning slightly red, "Why were you under my pillow?"

"Oh! So there _is_ a book there?"

"Gah…" Blake fought off the blush spreading across her face and grabbed Yang by the shoulders, "Tell. Nobody. _Please."_

"Your shame dies with me, worry not, young one." Yang grew serious, staring into Blake's eyes

"You read it?!"

"Maybe~" The blonde broke into a laugh as she began to jog away from her partner, leaving the Student Building and entering the courtyard. "Come on, Kitten, keep up!"

"Ugh, Stop it!" Blake snapped, running after her laughing partner, "What if somebody hears you?!"

"My words are like cherry blossoms, beautiful in body- but intangible."

"That doesn't even apply here!" Blake cried out, her cheeks burning. "Stop running and get back here!"

Yang just laughed and ran faster, her hair dancing in the wind behind her. She ran for a while longer until she stood in front of Beacon's front gate, where she fell silent and stopped giving Blake a chance to finally catch up with her.

"Finally…" Blake sighed to herself and slowed to a light jogged, approaching Yang. "You're insane, did you know that?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Yang smiled softly and looked up at Blake, "Listen, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Oh? What is it?" Slightly winded, she put her hands on her hips and gave Yang the opportunity to say what was on her mind.

Yang bit her lip and took a deep breath, "Ever since I met you, I've felt this connection between us. I _know_ that you're the reason I'm here- not to learn, or have fun. I'm here for you."

"..." Blake felt her heart skip a beat, the blowing wind was like silk against her skin, "Yang, I-..."

"We grew up and trained together, you're like my sister…" Yang's voice grew solemn, her eyes losing their lustre as she spoke her heart.

"Eh?" Confused, Blake tilted her head slightly as she drew her eyebrows together.

"Who would have guessed fate could be as cruel as this… to pit me against my beloved! But I shall not falter- I love you, but I must end your journey here, Ayaka!"

"Aya- YANG!" Blake grit her teeth, the butterflies that had built up inside her quickly vanishing as Yang wrapped her little act up.

"Hahaha!" Breaking into laughter once more, Yang spun around and ran off campus with a red-faced Blake chasing her.

The two girls sprinted off campus, rushing off into Vale with high spirits. Neither of them entertaining the thought of punishment in the least, far too occupied with just cutting loose.

* * *

 **As always, feel free to PM me if you have any questions! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.**

 **P.S, to anybody who cares; What am I even supposed to talk about in these A/Ns? I mean, the cut-n-paste "Hope you Enjoyed" works, but it feels a little dry to me. Am I the only one who thinks so? I overthink a lot so that might be it haha.**


	11. Collision Course

**Hey! Newest chapter is all done- as you can see. I hope you all enjoy, as always please forgive any errors and or mistakes within the chapter.**

* * *

Raven stood in the corner of a seedy bar, her blood-red eyes locked on the picture in her hands. ' _So this is what she looks like now…'_ She thought to herself, ' _I wonder how much she resents me?'_

She closed her eyes and tucked the photograph back into her jacket. "Hah, how long do I have to wait in this shithole?" With a disgruntled sigh, Raven kicked the wall behind her as her patience quickly waned.

While Raven stewed in the shadows the bar began to steadily empty. Some patrons left off instinct while others let themselves get swept up in the crowd. As the bodies filtered out through the rotting, decrepit doorframe the scent of ash filled the air.

Retreating footsteps were replaced with incoming steps, the wood floor creaked beneath the sudden addition of heavy-set bodies. The Branwen daughter opened her eyes only to be greeted by a bar full of suited men and women, some armed and others seemingly empty-handed.

They lined the walls of the pub, blocking all the windows and even the front door. In the centre of the room was a tall, built man. He had tan skin and short pitch black hair that lined up into a neat beard. His eyes were a dark grey and his face was covered in what could either be small scars or wrinkles. His body was mostly on display, save for the light brown cloak that he wore over top his black tank top.

A leather strap was tied flush across his torso, holding a bastard sword up behind his back. His waist was adorned with a thick black belt, that held a set of throwing knives on either side. The man had no other visible weapons on him, but a wise warrior would know that he was a deadly weapon himself.

"Griffon…" Raven scowled as she looked up at him, cringing away from the stench of blood that radiated around him.

"You're not happy to see me?" He queried, the low rumble of his voice bouncing off the hollow walls of the pub.

"I'd have been happier if you were on time." Raven quipped, taking a wary step towards the hulking man.

"We are," He narrowed his eyes, " _You_ were just early."

"Was I? Didn't notice." Pulling a seat out, Raven sat down and motioned for Griffon to follow suit. "Don't worry about the bartender, I already made sure that our conversation is private."

"..." Griffon remained silent as he pulled the chair back before taking his seat. "Enough chit-chat, why have you called me here? The elder is concerned with how long your mission is taking… is this related perchance?"

"No mercy huh?" Raven chuckled darkly and nodded, "Yeah. My idiot of a brother seems to have a target on his back, it's too dangerous to make a move right now."

"A target?"

"Yeah. Last time I made contact, He was heavily wounded." She reached down and pulled out a small photograph. "These two men are responsible, they're some of _her_ lackeys."

Griffon let out an impatient breath as he grabbed the photo from the table, bringing it closer to his face. "I see. You're concerned that if you make a move- you'll be exposed?"

"Exactly."

"Your point?"

"Pardon me?"

"You were bred to kill. As a Branwen, you should be proud to die a proud death such as that." Griffon flicked the photo back across the table, "If they confront you when you move to kill Qrow, and you fail because of it? You obviously weren't skilled enough for the task in the first place."

"..." Raven clenched her teeth, the fabric of her glove strained under the force of her clenched fist. "If Salem learns that we're active she'll begin to prepare countermeasures. Is that what you want? Honourable death aside, is exposing the survival of the original clan worth killing Qrow?"

"Hm? It almost sounds like you're letting emotions control you." Griffon mused, eyes locked on Raven. "Have you been taking your medicine?"

"Of course." Raven replied curtly, "I'd be dead otherwise- father already told me."

"Perhaps it's because Qrow and you were once the icon of siblings." Griffon closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Alright. I've decided."

Raven tilted her head motioning for him to continue.

"I will work alongside you on this mission. I agree that Salem's interference is quite the thorn, so the two of us will simply amputate the limb entirely."

The wooden chair skidded back as Raven shot up, "Work _together?!_ That's not why I called you here!" She snapped, her hand smacked down on the table between them.

"I don't care." Griffon stated matter-of-factly, "If Salem has infected Vale, then we will cut her out of it. My decision is final, we begin preparations tomorrow morning." With total disregard of Raven's intentions, Griffon stood up and motioned towards the people around the pub.

"This ends the meeting between Raven Branwen, daughter of our elder Condor Branwen and Griffon Branwen, brother of our elder." A woman stepped forward, "We fourteen have witnessed the talk and can testify to its contents. Is there objection?" She looked around at the thirteen others and nodded. "The process is completed. We will return in three months time with word from the elder."

"Okay." Griffon nodded, "Off you go then."

The pub shook under the uniform shout of acknowledgement before the fourteen men and women that lined the pub filed out like the patrons had earlier.

"Uncle-!" Raven began to protest, only to feel the rest of her words die in her throat.

"Enough. It was foolish to think you had the ability to kill your own brother." Griffon sighed glaring at Raven, "I take full responsibility for your ineptitude. Do not embarrass our family with any further protests, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Uncle." Teeth sunk into muscle as Raven bit down on her tongue to keep her words in her head.

"Good." Griffin stepped back as the trembling bartender approached the table, bearing a tray of food with two mugs of alcohol. "What's this?"

"C-Consider it g-goodwill! I-I-If you ever need anything… l-let me know…!" The bartender stammered, looking up at Griffon.

"Stop your rambling and speak normally!"

"Y-Yes, Sir!" The bartender yelped, instinctively saluting Griffon.

"Who else works here?" Griffon picked up the mug and began to drink, staring down the end of the mug at the bartender.

"Just me! Uh… sir!"

"Good." The mug bounced as Griffon tossed it away. "We're leaving Raven."

"As you wish." Looking down, Raven stepped away from the table and started to walk out of the pub.

The bartender smiled and let it out an uneasy breath as he watched them prepare to depart. "Have a good da-Agh!" He groaned as his throat was caught in a vice, his body lifted off the ground so he was eye to eye with Griffon. "C-Can't… breath..!"

"That's the point, fool," Griffon growled and tightened his grip. A loud cracking filled the stagnant pub before it was accompanied by a heavy thud.

"..." Raven frowned as she watched the deceased bartender hit the floor, head tilted too far left.

Grabbing a piece of meat off the tray, Griffon walked across the pub and past Raven before pushing the door open. As he stepped out into the open, he whistled for one of the witnesses from earlier. "Blow the pub up. Make it look like an accident."

"Aye!" The man saluted Griffon and waved some other over. The shuffled their way past Raven as she exited the pub, and disappeared inside.

"He was a friend you know…" She frowned, stopping beside her Uncle.

"Ridiculous. We Branwen's don't deserve the luxury of friends, all we can have are rivals that wait to claim our positions." Griffon walked up to a large black truck and climbed inside. The engine roared to life and the window rolled down, "Get in."

"..." Raven hesitated for a time before she eventually complied, walking across the field and climbing into the passenger seat. The tires crushed the earth beneath them as the truck moved forward, pulling away from the pub.

Raven leaned against the door and stared at the woods and they drove by, her eyes flicked to the side-view mirror as she heard the loud clap of an explosion. Smoke billowed up from behind the trees, along with the orangish tint of a fire. She felt a pang of guilt but quickly pushed it aside and returned her focus to the forest alongside the truck.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

 _Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep~_

The high and monotonous sound of a monitor rang out from the corner of a small, private, hospital room. A nurse bustled around as she took care of the basic duties before she glanced at the bed and left.

Once the door clicked shut, the sheets ruffled and a low groan filled the room. "Uugh. I hate hospitals. I really hate them." With much effort, Qrow pushed himself back and pressed up against the wall. "Too cramped."

He looked around the room with little interest, his mind still groggy. His head hit the wall and his eyes drifted up towards the ceiling, "How long am I supposed to be in here?" The hospital gown shifted as he reached out with his hand to grab the rail on the side of his bed. "One, two… and three." Slowly, Qrow climbed out of the bed and shivered as his bare feet made contact with the cold hospital floor.

"Tch…!" With a cluck of the tongue, the wounded huntsman pushed away from the bed and began to wander around the room. His hand pressed against his side and clenched the thin fabric of his gown. ' _I feel better… But my pride will still be wounded for a while.'_ The IV lines connected to him fell away and clattered against the floor, small red imprints dotted his arms from the injections. Qrow absentmindedly rubbed his forearms as if to rub the blemishes away, to forget about them.

Without the lines, the monitor beeps subtly grew slower before they merged together in a long and high note. Qrow heard shuffled feet and hurried footsteps before the door to his room swung open and a pair of nurses rushed into the room, accompanied by a doctor.

"Ah…"

"You're up?"

"Looks like it." Qrow held his arms out and looked down at them. His head tilted from side to side until he pinched himself and nodded. "Yeah, I'm up."

"Hah… I thought something serious had happened." The doctor sighed, walking over to the bed in order to gather the IV lines. "Are you feeling alright, Mr Branwen?"

"I feel like shit, but my injury seems to have healed up." Qrow frowned and dropped his arms, "How long have I been out?"

"You've been in here for just over two and a half weeks, you've been asleep for three days." The doctor stood up before he handed the two nurses the discarded lines, "If you're feeling alright, we can contact Mr Ozpin and have him come pick you up?"

"..." Qrow rubbed his temples before he shook his head, "Call Glynda, I doubt she's doing much right now. I don't wanna call Oz away from his work." He answered somewhat reluctantly, ' _I'd prefer leaving by myself… but I don't have any clothes.'_

The doctor nodded and motioned for one of the nurses to follow through with Qrow's request, "You had a pretty bad episode earlier this week, I'm not sure what triggered it exactly although my theory is that the remainder of the poison was neutralized."

"Is that so?"

"Possibly." The doctor nodded and walked over to a closet before pulling out a black housecoat. "Put this on, it's nothing much; just something that a woman dropped off yesterday."

"A woman…?" Qrow repeated as he took the housecoat, quickly putting it on.

"She didn't tell me who she was, so I can't help you." The doctor smiled apologetically, "Secret admirers aside, let's get you moving again. Before I can let you go I want to run a few tests. Just physiotherapy, nothing intrusive."

"I don't need it, I'll be fine."

"You've been bedridden for the better part of a month, I want to make sure the poison hasn't left any irreparable damage to your body." He turned away waving his hand, "I'm not giving you a choice, it's doctors orders."

"Hmph." Qrow scoffed before he reluctantly followed the doctor, intentionally trailing behind.

 _Vale Hospital, Parking Lot; An Hour Later._

"No- I told you that the mid-term results are due Monday, _last week."_ Sitting in the driver's seat of a car was Glynda Goodwitch, who was currently scolding one of her colleagues over her scroll.

"Okay… I'm going to say this only once, so listen!" She snapped, "I want your marks submitted by Wednesday, _this_ week. Not a day later, am I understood?" She fell silent as she waited for the response to her question, "Good. Now I have to go, I'm taking care of some personal business. Goodbye."

Her scroll went dark as she hung up and tossed it down into her purse. With a sigh, she leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. ' _Why do I put up with this day in-day out? It's exhausting…'_ She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of knocking.

Glynda flinched slightly and opened her eyes, turning to find the source of the knocking. On the outside of the passenger side door stood Qrow, wearing a white tank top with a pair of white cotton drawstring pants. A black hood hung off his head attached to a long black housecoat that rested against his back. She smirked and unlocked the door for him. The car engine came to life as he climbed inside and settled in his seat.

"Thanks…"

"Don't worry about it, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, just sore from doing nothing for the past while." Qrow frowned and buckled in while Glynda pulled out of the parking spot and began to drive away from the hospital.

"Figures." Glynda nodded and glanced at him, "You've missed quite a bit."

"Oh…? You mean something interesting happened for once?" Qrow quipped, shrugging off the sidelong glare from Glynda. "Relax. Tell me what's been going on."

Glynda hesitated for a time before she nodded.

It took the rest of the drive until she finished filling Qrow in, mostly due to his endless interjections. He grew steadily more concerned as he learned more and more about what he had missed in the span of just over two weeks.

"And that brings us to what can be called the ' _Grand Finale'_ of this year's Forever Fall trip. After Shio ran off, chased by Blake and Yang… our two new instructors decided to hold a minor sparring session in the middle of the woods. They were unharmed, but Yang and Shio took some damage. The worst off was Ms Belladonna, her wrist was sprained pretty seriously… it almost looked like a fracture, thankfully it wasn't."

"You're joking right?" Qrow questioned, staring at Glynda as she turned the engine off. "How was it worse with those two there? The level of danger between you and them should have been practically zero… who would have thought they'd be the ones to mess it all up."

"I mean it wasn't their _fault_ , but they handled it poorly." Glynda shrugged, "Anyway, I'll talk to Ozpin about Shio's house arrest."

"Why?"

"Because you're home now, and you can't go anywhere for a few days." Glynda clarified, "Won't she be a bother? You need to relax and focus on getting your energy back."

"She's fine, I was a part of Ruby and Yang's childhood. This won't be much different." With a smile, Qrow opened his door and climbed out of the vehicle. "By the way, is what Soma told you about their Aragami valid…? Can you trust him?"

"I believe so, yes. He may be moody, but that's hardly a reason to discredit him… why?"

"I have a theory is all. If I'm right, we could have a serious problem on our hands. I'll get back to you guys after taking some time to think about it, don't want any rumours spreading while we're on uneven ground." He frowned and shut his door, waving at Glynda as he made his way up the steps to his front door.

Glynda sat in her car until he was inside, then she proceeded to call Ozpin.

The scroll rang a few times before the call connected;

" _Hello?"_

"Professor Ozpin, Qrow has been discharged. He just walked into his place."

" _That's great. It's a shame he didn't call for me to pick him up…"_ Ozpin sounded dejected on the other end of the line, but he quickly dismissed his gloom, " _I assume you called for something more than that?"_

"Yes. Where are you right now?"

" _I'm currently in counsel with two of our students. If it's important, we can meet in my office in about an hour from now?"_

"That's fine." Glynda nodded and leaned back in her seat, "Who are the students that you're with?"

" _..."_

"Professor…?"

" _..."_

Glynda frowned and pulled the scroll away from her face, her attitude growing worse as she saw "Call Ended" flashing on the display. "Tch." She clicked her tongue and tossed her scroll into the glovebox across from her. With a slight sigh, she revived the engine and pulled away from Qrow's place driving farther up the street leading to Beacon.

 _Qrow's Flat, Vale._

As Glynda drove up the street, Qrow moved away from the window and locked the door. He could hear the sound of the TV coming from the living room, so he assumed Shio was still adhering to her punishment.

He slipped his shoes off and set them in the corner of the foyer before he walked out into the open and turned to find Shio asleep on the floor, with some news channel on the screen in front of her. ' _You'd never expect her to be anything less than human.'_ Qrow mused and stride over to the TV, turning it off. ' _She must have been up all night…'_ He knelt down and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her across the living room and into the bedroom.

The bed rustled under her added weight when he set her down, Shio groaned but didn't wake up.

"So careless…" Qrow whispered and pat her shoulder, leaving the room shortly after that. He closed the door softly and stretched once he was isolated from the sleeping girl.

Quickly untying his housecoat, Qrow tossed it onto the back of a chair and wandered across the floor aimlessly. "If I remember correctly, I think my pyjamas are in the bathroom hamper." With no other leads, he made for the bathroom.

Sure enough, there was a clean; albeit, wrinkled grey t-shirt tucked into the hamper alongside a pair of underwear and black track pants. ' _Perfect. I'll just shower and throw those on.'_ The thin Hospital gown was quickly discarded and hung up on the back of the bathroom door.

He knelt down by the tub and turned the tap on, carefully adjusting the water until it was the perfect temperature for him. Once he was satisfied Qrow pulled the cork up, letting the shower head sputter to life. Hot water sprayed out and beat against the porcelain of the tub before Qrow climbed in and pulled the shower curtain across.

As the water splashed against his bare chest, he let out a hiss of pain when his wound acted up. He glanced down and frowned, even with the poison removed, the wound was still healing at a less-than-desired rate. The skin around the wound was still discoloured, and there was already some scarring. "Such a pain… if this is permanent I'll make sure to pay those bastards back with interest."

He clenched his teeth and shifted his body so that the water didn't beat directly against his wound and continued on with his shower.

 _Ten Minutes after Qrow's shower._

While the water continued to run, young Shio slowly stirred awake. Her eyes strained in the darkness as she shifted around in the bed, the sheets rustled with every little movement.

' _I don't remember getting into bed…?'_ She frowned and tilted her head, looking around. "Did I come in while I was asleep?"

As she muttered to herself, Shio climbed out of the bed to wander around the room. "It looks like Mr Qrow's room… is he home?" Shio stretched and

made her way over to a large dresser mirror, staring at her reflection.

Her eyebrows scrunched up while she stuck her hand out, pressing it flush against the glass. Shio stared at herself, seemingly transfixed with whatever laid beyond the mirror. Qrow's room was blurry behind her, almost as if it was nothing more than a painting.

She felt an unexplainable anxiety begin to form in the pit of her heart, her stomach fluttering about. With an audible gulp, Shio closed her eyes. ' _One… Two… Three…'_ She eventually mustered the courage to open her eyes once again.

The clean, clear mirror of Qrow's dresser was gone and she found a shard of cracked stained glass in its place. A soft wind whistled around her stationary body, pulling her attention away from the glass so she could focus on her surroundings.

Gone was the comfort of Qrow's bedroom; no bed, no curtains, no mirror. She couldn't smell the food from across the street nor could she hear the birds chirping in the air.

She tossed the stained shard away and watched as it shattered in the sandy terrain. "This is…" Her feet moved on their own and she found herself backing away while her eyes trembled.

A large, derelict chapel barely stood tall in front of her. The scent of death and desperation stagnated in the afternoon air, tinged with the metallic sting of spilt blood. Her eyes flicked away from the chapel and passed over the desolate landscape, finding nothing but barren wastes for miles.

Small clusters of now-ancient skyscrapers struggled against the will of nature, leaning into one another for support.

"Why am I here…? My home… why?" Shio clutched at her chest as if she could claw the answer out from her heart.

An unfamiliar feeling gripped her heart, her hair was swept up by a sudden gust of wind. Her instincts demanded that she ran, but she turned around.

Darkness overcame her body as a giant form leapt at her, jaws stretched wide and ready to snap shut.

"N-NOOOO!" Shio swung her arms out and squeezed her eyes shut, her throat trembled as she screamed.

Without the ability to run, Shio waited impatiently for her inevitable end, only for it to never come. She opened her eyes as a strong force wrapped around her arm, forcibly bringing her back to reality.

"Shio!"

"Mr… Qrow?" Shio whispered, looking down to find his hand wrapped around her arms like a vice. "You're home…?"

"Yeah." Qrow frowned and let her go before he stepped back "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" Shio hesitated, her eyes locked on something behind Qrow's head. "I'm fine! Welcome home!" In a quick motion, Shio pulled away from Qrow and smiled up at him. "I'm going to the living room." She stepped around him and hurried out of the room, the door clicked shut behind her as she left.

"..." Qrow stood tall and glanced at the dresser that he had found Shio in front of. He rubbed the side of his head as he stared at the shards of broken glass scatters across the wooden dresser and the floor around it. ' _Sleepwalking?'_ He tightened the towel around his waist and knelt down to pick up the shards, ' _Gonna have to lock my door if that's the case… her nightmares seem destructive.'_ Qrow chuckled to himself, trying to mask the unease he felt deep inside. "I'll have to talk to Oz about this when I see him…"

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

Back at Beacon, team RWBY and team JNPR found two of their members locked in battle with one another. To be fair it was more of an argument than a fight, but it was heated nonetheless.

"I'm telling you, it isn't a good idea!"

"Says the one that just got her and her partner a week of detention for leaving campus after curfew."

"Agh…" Yang flinched and pulled away, her lilac eyes locked with Pyrrha's green eyes. "T-That's a low blow…"

"Low as it is, the truth is the truth." Pyrrha frowned and crossed her arms, "You and Blake are in no position to be giving Jaune advice about decision making. He wants to try and bury the hatchet between him and Cardin, why not let him?"

"Because it won't work! Cardin is a pig-headed fool who's only skill is capitalizing on those he sees as weak!" Yang hissed having managed to find her footing once more.

"So you think he should just run? He should sweep his problem under the rug and keep on living in Cardin's shadow?"

"I never said that!" Yang shook her head, her seat clattered to the ground as she stood up to meet Pyrrha. "All I'm saying is that spending time alone with him is stupid! At least one of us should be there!"

"That defeats the entire purpose!"

"What? His friends can't back him up?!"

"Don't put words in my mouth!"

The rest of their teams sat off to the side and occupied themselves with work or some sort of game to pass the time. The man the argument was about sat red-faced between the two girls, constantly trying to interject and get a word in edgewise against both of them.

"Geez, I know that Yang was angry… but Pyrrha too huh? She hides it so well!" Nora whispered to Ren, her eyes locked on the verbal battle.

"She doesn't hide it well at all. Take your headphones off for once and you'll notice more." He flipped the page in his book as he replied, paying little attention to his partner.

"Hmph. I'd take them off more if you'd talk to me." Nora stuck her tongue out and pulled away, "Who do you guys think is gonna win? Yang or Pyrrha?" She leaned back and grinned at the upside down members of team RWBY.

"Yang," Weiss muttered, looking over one of Ruby's assignments.

"..." Blake ignored the question, too encompassed in the book that she had picked up to even notice the argument.

"Jaune."

"Captain?!" Nora exclaimed, her eyes wide "Why do you think Jaune will win? He's not even part of it!"

Ruby scratched her chin and shrugged, her eyes flicked from the argument down to the paper in front of her. "They're arguing about him… and only he knows what he wants, I guess? They can't really say what he thinks is wrong."

"Hmm?" Nora bit her cheek and sat up straight "Ya think?"

"Mmhm." Ruby hummed her answer while she listened to Weiss' explanation of one of the problems.

"Alright! That's enough!" Jaune finally snapped, drawing the attention of both the arguing girls and the rest of the teams. With his hands pressed against the table, he stood up and frowned at both of them. "I've lived like a laughing stock for my entire life… and I'm fed up with it! I'm not going to back down… I will go and find Cardin, alone. I don't want to hear this stupid argument anymore! Yang, you won't follow me. Pyrrha, I won't fight him. The two of us are just going to talk this out like civilized people!"

Yang and Pyrrha fell silent and stared at the blonde teen, thinking.

Jaune smiled and nodded his head, "See? All it takes is a bit of confidence to-"

"Jaune, sit down." Pyrrha cut him off, a tired sigh slipped from her lips as she shook her head.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Jaune, get up!" Yang snapped, staring down at him.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am." Without hesitation, Jaune pushed out of his chair and stood at attention.

Both Yang and Pyrrha shared a look before they shook their heads.

"How do you expect to talk to Cardin like a man, when you can't even say no to us? We aren't going to hurt you for disagreeing, he will."

"Yeah, that's exactly why he needs somebody with him! Jaune can talk all he wants, but that bravado means nothing when it all comes down to it." Yang sighed, turning her attention away from Pyrrha alto focus on Jaune. "No offence, but what happened in Forever Fall was a fluke. If that Grimm hadn't have shown up, you would have been beaten up."

"Y-Yeah, But…!" Jaune sunk into his seat, desperately clinging to his crumbling foothold.

"No buts! You have the desire to defend yourself, but you don't yet have the ability to." Pyrrha crossed her arms, "I'm adding more to our training. We will start to focus on your confidence now as well."

"And whenever I make fun of you, I want you to give it back to me! Don't just take insults lying down, Cardin lives off of that kinda thing!"

With every word Jaune grew paler and paler, his two friends continuously bombarded him with the harsh truth after harsh truth. He looked up to the others for help, and those that were watching just averted their eyes. ' _How do I get them to stop this…? People are starting to stare.'_ Jaune thought to himself, his eyes shifted from side to side as he looked around the library. ' _Something to appease both of them… Ah!'_ He clapped his hands together and stood up with a jolt.

Both Yang and Pyrrha flinched back, their heads tilted in confusion.

"I've found the solution!"

"Oh?"

"Oh?"

"Yang, you want somebody with me in case things go bad. Right?" He turned to Yang, and she nodded slowly. "Pyrrha, you agree with me going alone, but you think I should prove to him that I'm not bluffing. Right?"

"Unfortunately, but yes." She nodded, her eyes narrowed. "Where are you going with this?"

"I'll take Ruby with me!" Jaune grinned, the girl in question flinched at her name and perked up. "Cardin hates everybody else, but Ruby hasn't done anything to him yet! He probably doesn't even care about her. She can fight so, Yang, your problem is solved! _And_ , she's not intimidating enough for Cardin to think I needed a safety net, so that's your problem solved Pyrrha!"

"Are you insane? Why the hell would I leave my baby sister alone with two guys?" Yang frowned, her eyes narrowed into a glare as Jaune finished up his thought.

"Eh? Then… uh… ah! Shio! I'll take Shio with me!"

"Jaune, I'll say this as a friend." Ren snapped his book shut and stood up, "Just shut up. You're digging yourself into an even deeper hole now."

"You're supposed to help me out in this kind of situation…" Jaune frowned before he crossed his arms. "I give up guys… do whatever you want."

The blonde and redhead nodded and returned to their argument. The rest of the group let out a collective sigh as the argument heated up once again.

' _Forget them… I appreciate the concern, but I'm not a kid.'_ Jaune kicked his chair back and slid over to the nearest bookshelf. He twisted himself around and began to look through the countless rows of books he now sat in front of. ' _What to read…?'_ He reached up and brushed his fingers along the spines of the novels and textbooks.

His eyes froze on an old favourite of his, nostalgia washed over him as he pulled the book out and opened to the first few pages. He smiled and ran his fingers over the pages before he snapped the book shut. ' _Nah, it's no time to be reading…'_ With a bit of effort, he managed to set the book back in its place. While he turned away, Jaune noticed a faint glint out of the corner of his eye.

He jumped up with a start and ran around the side of the book stack, ' _Damn it… who was there? We were talking about some pretty serious stuff.'_ As he scanned over the empty aisle, he noticed the door that led out to the hallway was just starting to shut. "..." He clenched his teeth and returned to his seat amongst his group back at the table.

 _Beacon Library, Side Exit._

' _Why the hell did I run away? It's a library, it's not I'm I can't be there…'_ With a huff, a young teen kicked a pebble down the corridor. ' _Ugh, now it's gonna be all weird saying what I need to say. Maybe I should just let Jaune come to me first, that could make things easier.'_

"Ah! I found him!"

"Finally!"

"Leader…!"

Three sets of footsteps hurried down the corridor before they stopped just outside of the library.

"Cardin, What are you doing here? I didn't know you could read…"

"..."

"He can't- must've been mandatory lessons or somthin' right?"

"No. That's not right." Cardin sighed and pushed off the door, "Why the hell did you three even follow me?"

"It isn't right? Then what could it have been?" Dove frowned and stared at the door, "We followed you to see what you were doing…"

"Yeah, you just ran out of the room earlier. You worried us!"

"The only one that should be worried is me, with three idiots like you as teammates I can't ever let my guard down." Cardin scoffed and began to walk away from the library, his teammates followed after him almost out of instinct.

"We're trying man, we'll stop being a burden one day!" Sky called out as his fist met his palm. "We'll start with that Arc guy, get revenge for you!"

"You'll leave Jaune alone." Cardin growled and spun around to grab Sky, "The only one that hits him is me, understand?"

"Eh? Y-Yeah! I understand…" Sky stammered and stared up at his leader. Both of his other teammates looked at him with worry and moved to catch him when Cardin tossed him down.

"Hmph." With a scoff, Cardin turned away and jammed his hands into his pocket, painfully aware of the eyes that bore into his back. ' _Forget it… apologizing takes too much work. I'm sure this is just a phase anyway.'_

 _ **Ozpin's Office, Beacon.**_

The stoic headmaster sat in his usual seat, with his usual mug, and his usual cane… however, he stared at a rather unusual sight.

"What are you doing?" Glynda questioned from across the room, her eyes locked on Ozpin.

"There's something wrong with our surveillance in the Emerald Forest. I'm getting nothing but a black screen." He frowned, bringing up the keyboard that he always had hidden atop his desk. With a few keystrokes, the camera displays that surrounded his desk went dark before simultaneously booting back up- save for the camera in the Emerald Forest.

"If it's not a glitch in the system- do you think that somebody sabotaged it?"

"It could be… has there been any word from Qrow since his arrival?"

"Yes actually, he called just a few moments ago. He's on his way as we speak." Glynda held up her clipboard and showed it to Ozpin who nodded in understanding.

"Good, so he should be arriving shortly." He shut the monitors off and stood up, his hand wrapped around his cane as he motioned for Glynda to follow him.

"Where are we going?" She inquired and set her clipboard down before she followed her employer.

"To intercept Qrow, and visit Emerald Forest," Ozpin stated matter-of-factly, his office going dark as he stepped onto his private elevator.

"What for? We have people that can check the status of those cameras… the headmaster of one of the four academies shouldn't be risking his life this needlessly."

"That's a fair point, however, I am not going out as a headmaster." Ozpin clarified and selected the main floor prompting the elevator to lurch downwards "I'm going out as a hunter, and you are going out as a huntress. Do you have any problems with that?"

"No, Sir. No problem at all." Glynda shook her head and moved a step behind Ozpin, her eyes locked on the floor display overhead, counting down each floor they passed.

"Good."

Both hunters fell silent for the duration of their short ride down, only when the elevator dinged open did either of them break the silence.

"Shio couldn't control herself, you know that right Ozpin?" Glynda whispered and stepped off the platform. "She was most likely influenced by something in Forever Fall."

"Exactly, Glynda. She couldn't control _herself_." Ozpin shifted his grip as he stepped out onto the bridge. "If she loses control like that on a mission? When nobody is around to contain her, what do you think will happen?"

"That's…"

"The truth, and it hurts. Believe me, I take no pleasure out of punishing Shio for following her instincts… that's tantamount to striking out against nature itself, but it has to be done."

"Still, house arrest? It was a bit of a harsh punishment for a little girl like her…"

"That's enough, Glynda." Ozpin sighed and stopped in his place "Do not forget that Shio is _not_ a little girl. She is _not_ human. She is _not_ one of us. Don't get me wrong, I am not discriminating against her for that… but I am treating her with more care than I do others. Her not being human is the very reason we must treat her like an adult. If she can separate from her primal side than I'm sure she will be able to overcome her instinct to kill- or be able to control it at the very least."

"B-"

"But that's exactly what led her to go berserk, Oz." Both Glynda and Ozpin turned to face the owner of the voice and found Qrow standing a few feet away from the both of them. "If you try to teach a feral animal friend from foe, will that domesticate it? No, it will remove the animals ability to kill and by extension, it will be killed."

"What's your point, Qrow? That Shio can't be taught?" Ozpin frowned and moved closer to his wounded friend.

"No, my point is that you're tearing her apart." Qrow replied, "Shio can't deal with being both human, and inhuman at the same time. The two halves are clashing inside of her, and the inhuman side is winning. Shio can't fight back, because she has come to fear what she truly is."

"How did you come to this conclusion?" Glynda interrupted, her eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"She unintentionally showed me when I tried to pull her away from a mirror. She was back home, at least that's what she called it." Qrow tapped the side of his head, "She isn't human, so you shouldn't be expecting her to learn like one Oz. It's foolish."

"Then what would you have me do, Qrow?"

"Leave her be. Let Shio, teach Shio. She was doing a fine job of it when she first got here, hell she already lost that childish side of her- for the most part at least. Just give it time."

"Hmm."

Both Ozpin and Qrow stared at one another in silence for a time, before Glynda stepped in between them and cut through the building tension. "Qrow, Ozpin and I are heading to Emerald Forest to investigate a disturbance. You're tagging along, tell us about your theory once we get there."

"Ah, yes. Glynda mentioned that you doubt the information Soma shared with her?" Ozpin dropped the previous conversation skillfully and changed the subject.

"Even he knows Huh? Guess nobody can say you don't do your job, Witch." Qrow grumbled and stepped back, his arm swung out to let Ozpin and Glynda pass.

" _Glynda_. Not _Witch._ " Glynda hissed and flicked Qrow in the side before she pressed past him.

' _Bitch works too.'_ He thought to himself as he clutched at the still tender wound on his side that Glynda may have just re-opened.

"Come along, Children. We have work to do- no more bickering until we've arrived in Emerald Forest." Ozpin called out over his shoulder, in an almost mocking tone.

Both Qrow and Glynda stuck their tongues out at him once he turned away before they followed after him and left campus grounds.

 _Emerald Forest, Vale_

After a long walk to the where the disabled camera was located, the group of three stood still in the woods. No signs of life could be seen anywhere, and the atmosphere of the Forest had taken on a rather lonely feeling.

"Qrow, I want you to get up to the camera and figure out why it's down." Ozpin looked around cautiously, his sharp eyes dissected whatever they ran across. "Glynda, I wanted you to scout for any signs of life in the meantime."

"What about you?" Qrow tucked his hands into his pocket and looked up into the trees. "I suppose you're taking the fun part?"

"You could say that." Ozpin lifted his cane up and tapped on the bark of a nearby tree. "There is something here, and I'm going to find it."

"Yeah, the fun part." Qrow huffed and stalked deeper into the forest, ' _Glynda gets to hunt, Ozpin gets to hunt… me? Nah.'_ He complained in his head, absentmindedly kicking a small rock away.

"Alright, I will meet up with the two of you here." Glynda nodded at Ozpin and turned away, the leaves shifted underfoot with the movement, "Be careful, okay? Call out to us if you need anything."

"Mm." He nodded and watched her walk away, already on the lookout for anything that resembled life. With nobody around him, Ozpin let out a sigh and put his hand against the tree to his side. ' _For the forest to be like this… what's going on?'_

A soft wind cut through the leaves and carried the stench of ash with it. Drawn in, Ozpin pushed away from the tree and walked against the wind. He held his cane by his side, it occasionally tapped against the dirt ground whenever the wind picked up.

The usual chirping of birds was no longer heard, and even the sound of the nearby river seemed almost hollow compared to the sound of the forest itself. As Ozpin walked deeper and deeper into the forest, he subconsciously pulled his cane closer to his body.

"Something isn't right here." He stepped around a rotted tree trunk, the remainder of the wood was an off grey. "..." Ozpin narrowed his eyes and came to a stop, a low growl rumbled from his throat.

The once lush forest was dead and decaying, almost as if the life had been sucked out of the area by some unknown force. The headmaster stepped around the ashen trunk and strode into the dying circle.

He scanned the area and found a medium-sized indent in the middle of the area. With his cane outstretched, he approached the lump and prodded it. The soil under his cane was coarse, almost like wet sand, and it was a grey as the trees around it.

Ozpin readjusted his grip and stepped back, "Let's see what's under here…" The tip of the cane hovered over the top of the lump, a small wind rushing forth from it. The soil indented under it to form a small crater that grew larger and larger, the wind from Ozpin's cane growing stronger.

Eventually, the soil began to crack and was blown away in small chunks bit by bit. Whatever loose soil was hidden beneath quickly scattered away under the pressure. ' _This is…!'_

 _Emerald Forest (Nature Path), Vale._

"Dead, Dead… And Dead." Glynda tapped her arm as she stood at the top of a downward slope, rotting animal carcasses had been strewn across the path. From field mice to deer, nothing was left alive. "What the hell happened here?"

An unknown anxiety began to well up in her gut as she strode down the path. She examined each carcass as she walked by it, yet none of their deaths could be explained. No bullet wounds, no signs of mauling… it was like they all just dropped dead.

"Could it be… a new type of Grimm? If so, why didn't our sensors pick up anything." She frowned and eyed the tree line on either side ' _Even the birds are dead… it's like something ran through here and just sucked the life out of everything.'_

Glynda stepped off the path and made her way over to a tree that bore a set of gashes. "Hm…" Her fingers traced the indents in the bark and followed them down to a pile of dust by the base of the tree. "Claw marks. It looks like an Ursa- but this angle," She turned around and stared at the carcasses, "It wasn't hunting them. It was running away with them…"

She knelt down and scooped up a handful of the dust, letting the dull substance spill through the cracks in her fingers and form a new pile by her feet. ' _I don't like this…'_ Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses and she stood up once again, her hand brushed against her skirt to clean the dirt off them. "I need to report this to Ozp-"

"H-HELP MEEEE!"

As if a switch was flipped, Glynda was in motion. Her hair danced in the air behind her as she ran, her riding crop already in hand to fling whatever was in her way- out of her way. ' _Scream again… come on!'_ She ran blindly in the general direction of the desperate scream, trying to discern the origin from the resulting echoes.

"SOMEBODDYYYY! I'M GONNA DIE!"

Glynda dug her heel into the ground and kicked to the side, launching herself in the new direction. ' _That sounded like it came from the old nature park…'_ A bead of nervous sweat dripped down her forehead as she hurtled ahead.

Within seconds she found herself sprinting towards the long-abandoned attraction. The grass gave way to dirt and the trees were replaced with decrepit structures and gateways. "Where are you?! I'll help you, just tell me where I need to go!" She yelled out, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath. ' _Am I out of shape…? Why am I so tired?'_

"N-NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Tch… no time to be tired!" She clenched her teeth and revived her run. With a lot of luck, she managed to track the voice down to the restrooms in the far section of the park.

"HELP…! I'M GONNA DI-AAAGHH!"

"Damn it! Where are you?!" She screamed and rushed up to the restroom door. With a snap of her crop, the door flung open. "Empty… that means…" She turned her head to the side and flicked the adjacent door open. "Hello? I'm a huntress from Beacon Academy, and I'm here to help." Confused, she stepped into the restroom and looked around. Her heels clicked against the cracked tile underfoot, every step plunged her further into darkness. "What's going on here? I know that the screams came from here."

"I-It hurts…"

"What?" Glynda spun around and stared at her reflection in the filthy mirror, "Where did you come from?" A young man sat in one of the stalls behind her, and he clutched desperately at his stomach.

"I… I'm going to die… it hurts so much…"

"..."

"Nobody came… they left me to… die…"

' _This is wrong.'_ Glynda shifted her eyes away from the mirror and glanced at her shoulder. ' _I can't feel anything from behind me.'_ She swallowed audibly and turned around. The stall in question was open, however, there was no man inside.

"I can't… breathe… I don't… wanna die."

Glynda's hand balled up into a fist and she turned away. She glanced at the mirror and bristled at the sight of the young man still hunched over in the stall. ' _I hope Qrow has his flask on him…'_ She shut her eyes and walked out of the restroom, instantly returning the way she ran. ' _That's enough investigating today. I can understand why that place was shut down now… good call Ozpin.'_

She scoffed and looked up, only to feel her heart leap into her throat. "Q…row?" Before she knew it, she was running again.

 _Emerald Forest (Tree Top), Vale._

"I. Hate. This. Job." Qrow seethed as he hugged the branch above him, "Nngh- A lot." With a groan, he lifted himself up, and onto said branch. "Haah, Haah, Haah." He set his head against the tree behind him, his face pale and covered in sweat. "Oh come on… my injury ain't that bad."

He turned his body and grabbed ahold of the next branch before he hoisted himself up. Qrow repeated this again, and again until he began to near the top. "Who's genius idea was it… to put the junction box way up here? If it wasn't for the bright white wire I'd still be wandering around down there."

The bark bit into his skin as Qrow stood up, using the body of the tree as support. Once he was on his feet, Qrow reached up and grabbed the junction box cover before he pulled it open. His fingers flicked the manual switch up and he pulled out his scroll. "Let's see, Beacon network… and here we go."

The thin scroll was fastened into the junction box so that Qrow could see the feed as he ' _worked'._ "Uh… this one." He flicked a switch up and watched the feed, "Nope. This one."

He tried switch after switch, yet none deactivated the camera. "Man, this is why wireless networks suck. If it was all connected, we could just swap the camera out but _no._ That'd be too easy on Qrow." As he mumbled to himself, he saw a flicker of light in the camera feed. "Ah! HAHA! I got it!" He clapped the tree and picked his scroll up, "Now. Just gotta get back to Oz so we can figure out why it's all blurry."

He turned away from the tree and made to begin his descent back to ground level- however, he was paralyzed. Hundreds of feet in the air, Qrow stared down at the forest and watched more of the decay spread. With the help of his semblance, Qrow's vision improved and he scanned the ground the best he could.

Eight circles of the decay surrounded the borders of Emerald Forest, with Ozpin standing in the ninth- in the middle. Trails of grey seeped from the circles in all directions, the tendrils of decay killing the forest by the second. "This can't be possible… it's like the forest is turning to dust." His words were picked up by the wind and carried even farther up into the sky. "There's Glynda, staring up at me. Ozpin is standing in front of some lump… but, where are the Grimm?"

Qrow looked from all the circles, he scanned the forest and felt what little colour remained to his skin drain away. Aside from the odd pile of ashes here and there, all visible Grimm lay dead on the forest floor. Their bodies rotted away just like the forest was. "What the hell…? They burst into dust- they've _always_ burst into dust!" He shook his head and felt himself grow light headed. "Why am I… so tired…"

He rubbed at his eyes to try and stay awake as he stumbled back towards the body of the tree, only for his feet to leave the branch. "Huh…?" The fatigue flooded from his body as Qrow entered a freefall, the wind smacked against his back as the ground rushed up to meet him. "Shit…! Change, Change!"

He eyes squeezed shut as he struggled to activate his semblance, but no matter how hard he tried, his body would not respond. "I can't even… grab my sword!" He clenched his teeth and tried to reach behind his back, but the wind pushed it up time and time again.

His hair whipped against his cheeks as his body hurtled downward, rapidly approaching the sudden stop at the bottom. ' _My aura won't save me from this… damn it…!'_

"Call… I need to call for help!" He braced himself and opened his eyes. "GLYNDA!"

His words echoed throughout the forest yet there was no response. The wind continued to assault him during his fall, the end neared for Qrow, yet he was still composed enough to notice the faint purple that surrounded his body. ' _Glynda…'_

Qrow smiled thankfully as his descent began to slow, the velocity dropped as rapidly as it rose. Within seconds, Qrow's body hit the ground with a loud thud sending the nearby leaves and sticks into a tailspin away from him. "Ugh… still hurt…" He winced and stared up at the sky, his head turned to face the panting Glynda.

"At least… you're alive! What were you thinking?! Taking a dive like that, are you insane!" Glynda screamed and grabbed Qrow by the collar forcing him to stand. "If I wasn't here-"

"I'd be dead. Yeah, I got it." Qrow nodded and reached into his back pocket. "Here, looks like you need it more than me right now."

Glynda stared at the silver flask in Qrow's hands for a time before she grabbed it and twisted the cap off. "Somethings wrong with this forest."

"Y'think?" Qrow scoffed and watched as she began to drink, "Let's just meet up with Oz and get the hell out of here. I've been getting a really bad feeling for the past little while now- I fixed the surveillance camera so we should be fine to leave."

"Fine with me…" Glynda wiped her mouth and returned the flask to Qrow, who quickly downed the other half of the beverage encased within. "Nothing I found was alive… so I'm finished too."

Qrow nodded and began to walk down the path he took to the tree, Glynda followed close behind. Neither of them could shake what they had seen as they returned to meet Ozpin in silence- having very little desire to say anything.

"You two?" Both Glynda and Qrow flinched at the sound of Ozpin's voice. They turned to see him walk through the brush and approach them. "We're leaving now. This forest needs to be quarantined, immediately."

"Oz, what did you see?" Qrow questioned as he shifted around in place.

"What is it…?" Glynda mimicked Qrow's worry.

"It's that Beowulf, the one that you went after, Qrow." Ozpin frowned, his voice low and soft, "I just found its body… and it'd begun to regenerate."

"How'd you know it's the same one…?"

"Six legs, that's why. Four of the normal variety, and two of them… _humanoid_ variety." Ozpin looked over his shoulder and scowled. "I broke its mask and killed it, so that's not a worry. But the forest is-"

"Dying."

"Dying."

Qrow and Glynda finished Ozpin's thought and both grew solemn.

"We should return to the academy before we talk more… this forest isn't safe." Ozpin held his hand up and motioned for both to follow him.

"At least we're all on the same page about that…" Qrow quipped and stuck his flask back into his pocket. "The frontlines felt better than this place does…"

"It's terrifying that I agree with you." Glynda walked alongside him, "The front lines were brutal, but this place just feels sinister now."

"Which is why I'm having it quarantined." Ozpin spike over his shoulder as he stepped around another decayed tree trunk. "Now let's keep our eyes open, whatever is causing this might be in the area."

Qrow and Glynda nodded, and with all three of them on guard, they began their slow hike back up to Beacon.

 _Headmasters Office, Beacon (twenty minutes later)_

"Okay, I've been quiet since the forest, but tell me I'm not the only one that felt that." Qrow stormed through Ozpin's doors, Glynda and Ozpin himself entering behind him.

"The exhaustion, anxiety or the inability to control our aura? Take your pick, I felt it all." Glynda sighed and shut the doors, "Something was more than just _wrong_ in there, I've never experienced something like that before.

"So I'm not totally insane, Great." Qrow threw his hands up and pat his hip, "Damn it… whenever I need it I don't have it." He cursed and grumbled to himself, kicking at the ground.

Ozpin stayed silent for the most part, lost in his own world of thoughts. Absentmindedly, he approached his desk and claimed his usual seat. "I may have a theory."

"What is it, Ozpin?" Glynda stood directly in front of the desk, Qrow quickly coming to stand beside her.

"The Grimm that Qrow killed back when we first met Shio, normal Grimm don't just regenerate from the ash like that. Even for the few that do, they never exceed their original biology. This one broke that cycle." Ozpin sighed and eyed the video feeds.

"As you said on the way back, yeah." Qrow stepped forward and put his hands on the edge of the desk. "Why do you think this one deviated?"

"I think it has to do with Shio…" Ozpin's voice grew quiet, as an extra measure in the event, somebody managed to slip past all three of them.

"Shio? Then that would mean…"

"Yes. I'm afraid so."

Qrow stared at both Glynda and Ozpin in confusion for a while, trying to piece together what they both realized. "What are you guys…" It didn't take long for it to click, and when it did- his hair stood on end. "There has to be another explanation."

"I'd be more than glad to accept it- assuming you can provide one?" Ozpin glanced at Qrow, who shrunk away. "Until Soma and Mithgail return, we need to keep an eye on the Emerald Forest. There is to be no entry unless otherwise specified."

"Ozpin… do you think that the Oracle Cell's Soma told us about could have this effect on the three of us?" Glynda voiced the concerns that the three of them shared.

"At this point, I think everything." Ozpin pulled his scroll out and began to dial a number. "In the meantime, I need you two to get the academy shut down for the time being. You know the necessary codes. We can't have any students sneaking into the forest."

"Understood."

"Yeah, of course."

Glynda and Qrow shared a look before their rushed out of the office: leaving Ozpin to his own thoughts. As he finished dialling the number, he closed his eyes and waited for the side to pick up.

" _Hello?"_

"Ironwood. The two of us need to talk."

" _Ozpin… What is it?"_

"Not over the phone, I'll meet you in the city tomorrow afternoon- the usual spot and the usual time"

" _... Fine. Don't be late."_

With that, the other line went dead. Ozpin set the scroll down and clutched his head in his hands. ' _First Qrow encounters Salem's lackeys, then Shio goes berserk on my students… now we have to worry about our aura control going on the fritz. Maybe I should take up drinking with Qrow.'_ Ozpin chuckled to himself and shook his head. "I'd better get that quarantine up." The headmaster grew serious once again and put in the required order to section off the forest.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds.**_

* * *

Far across the world, far from the light of Beacon Academy, sat the academy of Shade. However, the academy itself was not of importance: It's what laid far beneath its steaming halls.

Filthy water dropped from the ceilings of an underground village of sorts. Homeless citizens and people of less than stellar standing wandered throughout these halls. It was their home.

Amongst their numbers were two who did not belong. Their appearance may have been as rugged and dishevelled as anyone else was, but what set them apart were the weapons strapped to their back.

Neither of them seemed to be comfortable with the items strapped to their backs as they constantly shifted them around on their backs.

The first of the two was a rather pale man, that had striking gold eyes and brown braided hair. He wore a white sleeveless jacket that had leather belts strapped to it. His pants were also white, save for the reddish-brown splatters that adorned his calves and thighs. The jacket was left open and exposed the scars that crisscrossed his chest, which also happened to be splattered with the same substance as his legs. Bandages and vambraces covered his arms. This was Tyrian Callows, a scorpion Faunus.

The man to his left was a hulking middle-aged giant. He sported short brown hair, hazel eyes and a beard. Unlike the bright white that Tyrian wore, this man kept his colours much quieter and chose to wear a two-tone olive coat over a black shirt. His pants were black with a pouch strapped to either leg. The shirt strained against his arms, pulling back to reveal the set of scars that the sleeves kept out of sight. This was Hazel Rainheart.

"Why are we even here. We ain't gonna find him down here." Tyrian complained and pulled his tail tighter around his waist, making sure it was properly camouflaged as a belt. "The guy's a princess, ain't no way in hell he's hiding in a shithole like this."

"Enough."

"Enough…" Tyrian mimicked and jammed his hands in his pockets, "Say, why don't we just cause a ruckus? Surely he'll climb outta whatever hole he's in if we do that!"

"We won't."

"Hmph. You mean _you_ won't _."_ Tyrian stepped to the side and wandered over to a group of passerby. ' _Let's see, a little poke here, and one here…'_ He pushed his way through the crowd and seamlessly merged himself back onto the main path. "See? You didn't have to do a thing."

"..." Hazel glanced at the crowd behind him, the people Tyrian passed by had begun to sway. "That was unnecessary."

"Was it? They were perfect guinea pigs for this little test! Just lonely enough so that nobody would care they were gone, but visible enough that people would at least notice. It was totally necessary!" Tyrian grinned and held his hands up, "I could have used kids? Or elders?"

"Stop. Let's just finish this mission." Hazel reached out and grabbed the collar of Tyrian's jacket. "Your games are done. We will get to work now, deviate further and I will kill you."

"Scary~~" Tyrian held his hands up in defeat and shook his head. "Fine, fine, I'll stop. We won't find the old coot this way though- I can tell you that right now."

"We will try, it is what has been asked of us."

"What if the bastard is just… y'know, Dead? Shade ain't too kind 'a place, it wouldn't surprise me if he was assassinated or something." Tyrian fell in step with Hazel as they wandered throughout the slums. "I get that it's our job but it's so boring… hopefully, she lets us cut loose next time."

The two men walked deeper into the filth until they came upon a seemingly deserted hall. Hazel and Tyrian shared a look before they started down the mould laden corridor. The soles of their boots splashed in the brownish water with every step, and the sound echoed off the walls.

The low bustle of the slums grew steadily quieter before they were accompanied by the sound of the water as it dripped from the ceiling and nothing more. As they walked, the corridor the tighter and forced the two men into a single file line.

After a few more quiet moments, their advance was halted by a wall that spanned across the width of the corridor.

"There's a wall."

"Thanks, big guy…" Tyrian deadpanned and stared over his shoulder at his much larger companion. "Guess we wasted our time after all."

"Move." Hazel turned and pulled Tyrian back behind him. "This wasn't here before. There's an airflow, can't you feel it?"

"Yeah, but what does that matter? Look at this thing, I can smell the steel inside it. We ain't getting through right now." With a shake of his head, Tyrian turned away and began to walk back the way he had come.

"..." Hazel put his left hand against the wall and frowned. "Wait." He took a breath and balled his right hand up into a fist, "I will get us through."

"Is that so? And how will you go about doing that?"

Without a reply, Hazel pulled his fist back and in a single fluid motion, he thrust it out. The steel-laden wall cracked and chipped before it broke and crumbled to the floor at Hazel's feet.

"Like that… got ya." Tyrian brushed some of the debris off his pants and returned to Hazel's side. "Where did Salem find you again?"

"Come on, they have to know we're here now." Hazel brushed off Tyrian's question and pushed the rubbles out of his way, continuing his way down the corridor. He ran his hand along the wall, tracing the cracks as he walked. "This is different stone, we're getting close."

' _Finally. You seriously kill my mood.'_ Tyrian hung his head in relief, his earlier energy drained. "Great! Let's go then." He pat Hazel on the shoulder and stepped around him, eyes locked on the end of the corridor- and the poorly concealed door that waited for them both. The ' _wall'_ seemed to move slightly whenever the air was disturbed. ' _A blanket? Who do they think we are…'_

Hazel stayed silent as he watched his companion press onward. He kept from speaking all the way to the door as he mulled over the concerns that had grown more and more evident to him the deeper in they went.

Tyrian didn't wait for Hazel to catch up and immediately grabbed the camouflage blanket. "Pathetic…" He spat while his arm pulled back, the sound of fabric being torn echoed around the area. He tossed it down to the side and glanced at Hazel, a wide grin on his face.

"Hold on- something is wrong. If they really were here don't you think we'd have seen some signs of them by now?"

"Relax. They're all just tucked away in there waiting to ambush us. Y'know how these guerrilla groups operate." Tyrian waved his hand dismissively and ignored the pensive look in Hazel's eyes. With the door exposed, he reached out and pushed it open with force.

It swung open and Tyrian leapt inside, landing in front of a large oak desk. Hazel rushed in after him, his eyes darted from wall to wall in search of their targets. "They're not here…"

"Neither is that damned headmaster! Ugh, why is he so stubborn… like a bloody cockroach!" Tyrian yelled, "Why didn't you tell me? Instead of being all cryptic and shit."

"Maybe if you learned to listen." Hazel turned around, the feeling of unease still gnawed at his subconscious. "We wouldn't… have these complications…"

"Don't go blaming me now, you need to learn how to work better with a partner! Stop forbidding me from doing every little thing." Tyrian snapped and kicked at the desk.

"Shut up."

"Hey! Even I have a breaking point Okay?!" Tyrian strode forward, his finger aimed up at his companions head. "You can't just tell me to shut up when I'm talking!"

"..." Hazel glanced down and sighed, his hand quickly grabbed Tyrian's face to shut him up. "Enough. Can't you hear that?"

"Mmph?! Mm-Mmph mm!" Tyrian ranted on, his words muffled. "Mmnn… Mm?" The anger quickly drained his eyes and they widened in response. "Mmmphm!"

"I know. Come on." Hazel nodded and released Tyrian. "The alarm is sure to call something here…"

"Should have expected this from those bastards… too cowardly to face us head on!" He wiped his mouth off and looked at the ceiling.

Hazel copied the action and let out a low growl. Reflected in his eyes was the giant red symbol of an eagle on the ceiling, "This isn't an alarm…"

"It's a damn bomb." Tyrian chuckled darkly and hung his head "They played us… Salem's gonna be pissed." He craned his head to the side as he heard a loud bang. Through the door, the corridor was crumbling, blocking off their only chance for escape.

The ticking in the room stopped suddenly and a monotone hum echoed from the walls before they blew outwards from every angle. The two men were buried in glass, wood and rubble as the room literally came down onto their heads.

 ** _Shade Courtyard, Vacuo_**

"To all present fourth-year teams- this is an announcement."

A voice echoed out across the dusty campus of Shade Academy. Several teens stopped and turned towards the large tower that the voice had come from.

"The date for the Vytal tournament has been set for two months from today, you are all to recommend a single- that means _one_ \- first year and second-year team that you deem to be worthy of participating. Please submit your selections at the reception desk. In regards to third years, your midterms will take place during that same period. Don't neglect your studies again. That is all." With that, the voice cut out only to be replaced by the hum of excited students.

The courtyard of Shade was fairly busy despite being a school day. The majority of the students were getting ready for their first ever school tournament- the academy instructors were more than happy to take the day off. Unlike the other academies, Shade was both a place of learning and the only real foothold for justice within Vacuo. Balancing education and upkeeping the peace was no small task in a land that danced on the thin line of total anarchy.

"I wonder if they'll be back soon- I'm getting sick of being around all these kids."

"They should be; Unless the storm hits them on the way back."

"Let's hope it doesn't then."

Two hooded figures sat atop a small van and watched over the bustling crowd of teenagers. They were part of the Kingdom's Recon initiative, a black ops type organization founded by and composed of rogue hunters and huntresses.

"What do you think took them so long? A rebel faction?"

"Possibly." One of the figures reached into their robe and pulled out a bright red fruit resembling an apple. "They did go out into the East Desert, that section is basically a No Man's Land even for the best survivalists. If it's not the rebel's then it's undiscovered Grimm."

"Ah, that's right." The other figure gripped the end of the van and leaned back to stare up at the sky. "The East Desert… it's kinda like the Bermuda Triangle that we read about in all those old texts, don't you think?"

"Shut it! You never know who's listening, don't just talk about stuff like that needlessly. It's classified for a reason. Besides, who knows if we really caught those two in the trap earlier. They could be anywhere…"

"Ah- Sorry, haha." With a grunt, the figure hoisted themselves up and turned to the other. "Let's go inside and talk then, we should start to prepare for their return anyway.

"Whatever." The figure that remained sitting tossed their fruit away with little care. "You're not driving though."

"Aww! Come on, Please~?"

"No."

"I'll buy you dinner!"

"Tempting- but with you behind the wheel, I doubt we'd live to see lunch; forget dinner."

"Fair enough." With a reluctant sigh, the protesting figure hopped down to the ground and climbed into the passenger side of the van.

"She knows she's a horrible driver and still tries to drive…" The figure held their hood and jumped down, before climbing into the driver's seat. ' _Why does my partner have to be the thrill seeker?'_

With the key in hand, they turned the ignition and the engine roared to life. A small display flickered to life on the dashboard, with a digitalized dial in the centre. The passenger turned it up all the way before they pulled their hood down, "This is so much work, Why can't the academy just say we were released on good behaviour?"

"Simple, because we are still hated by the majority of Vacuo. Even if we _were_ released on good behaviour, people would still riot." The other figures hood fell back and bunched up around their neck. "Besides, what good would it do to have our identities revealed in our line of work? It's redundant- we're a secret organization remember?"

"Yeah, Yeah." The first figure glanced out the tinted windows with steely blue eyes... "Still, it's annoying. You have to agree with me there right, Syv?"

"I don't _have_ to agree with anything, but you aren't wrong, Otte." Turning the van onto the main road, Syv glanced up at the sky. "How long do they have before it hits?"

"I'd give them... half a day." Otte mused, stretching in her seat. Messy black hair brushed against the shoulders of her black cloak. "Any longer than that would be pushing it."

"Then they're stuck for sure." Tapping on the display, Syv clenched her teeth and sped up. "We should at least meet them halfway." Her grey hair was mostly hidden by her cloak, though it reached the middle of her back.

"You don't think we'll get lost too?"

"Don't play dumb, we've picked up your signal in that sector countless times. You've got the place practically memorized."

"You're all stalkers." Otte stuck her tongue out, her eyes screwed shut.

"Says the psychopath." Syv glanced at her partner from the corner of her eye, ignoring her childish provocations.

"That's rude…! I'm no Psychopath, I'm just a bit obsessive."

"A bit?" Syv shifted gears, idly switching the screens on the display to track down the rest of their squad. "You have a diary on all of us- you even write about yourself in the third person."

"..." Lost for words, Otto turned away and glared out the window. "Shut up and drive…"

The van roared in response as the tires lost their traction, stone giving way to sand. It struggled for a time before it continued to push forward, the tires quickly adapting to the new terrain.

The two women sat in silence, keeping a mutual lookout for their allies. A dark cloud quickly gathered overhead, instilling a sense of foreboding in all who saw it. The still sands began to drift as the winds whistled through the desert, disturbing the deadly calm.

"It's going to be a big one," Syv muttered, shutting the vents inside the van. "Maybe that'll help knock the Grimm population down a bit."

"Hmm." Otte hummed her response, quietly staring out at the darkening horizon.

The van tore through the sand, speeding away from civilization and towards the East Desert, heading directly for the gathering storm.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed! Feel free to PM me with any questions, if not then let me know what you think with a review!**


	12. The Second Ripple Pt1

**_Heya! Late upload, blah blah blah broken record. Had reasons this time! The second half of my last semester in high school was busy as hell so I had practically zero time to spare for any of my hobbies. However, exams are all done and I am officially a high school graduate- (somehow), so here I come student loans and lifelong debt!_**

 _ **My life aside, below this, sits the most recent chapter of Resonance. I hope you all enjoy, as always please leave a review with what you thought.**_

* * *

" _Stay with your mother- I'll go see what's going on."_

" _But… Father!"_

" _Stay."_

" _..."_

 _An eerie darkness crept across the occupants of the room, the curt and harsh words of a since-lost father echoed off the walls and resonated with the young man. He and his father had never actually gotten along, yet something about this situation still gnawed at his innermost self- even this far into his life._

 _Never again did this boy see his father, he had not heard of any tales either. Both he and his mother were alone in a world so cruel, so heartless that even death seemed like a desirable release- as bittersweet as that may be. The ever-encroaching shadows slowed to a crawl for years, taunting and torturing the boy in the back of his shattered mind until he finally chose to stand up and fight back._

 _It was his choice that led to his eventual downfall, this was the choice that brought the hammer of death harshly down upon hundreds of thousands of innocent souls yet it saved just as many. Eight years have been spent feeling the unbearable weight of his choice, how much every fallen ally and lost loved one rotted him from the inside out._

 _Eight years have sculpted him into the man he is now and just when he'd thought it done with- the torment began anew._

The wind howled viciously as it tore through the water-deprived lands of the Vacuo desert. The sand was flicked to and fro as it flitted through the dusty sky, illuminated by the faint glow of the scorching sun that pierced through the storm above.

Within this hostile environment, there was one unnatural disturbance. A single convoy continued to press forward, the engines burning hot under the hoods of their cargo trucks as it overworked itself to stay alive. The heavy tread of the wheels crushed the sand beneath leaving a deep imprint in its wake, which was swiftly covered up by the drifting sands.

Within the lead truck, the occupants fought against the heat. Well, the majority of them at least- Alisa and Sakuya both sat comfortably in their spots. The former had long since fallen asleep while the latter was absentmindedly observing the storm on the other side of the glass.

"I don't get it…" Huffed the woman as she kept the steering wheel straight, her clothes clung her body from the sweat. "Where did you say you two were from?"

"The Far East as a group, however, Alisa is a foreigner. She's a transfer from a place called Russia." Sakuya idly ran her fingers through the silken locks of Alisa's hair. "Licca and I are both native to the Far East though."

"Russia and the Far East? Are these places anything like Vacuo…?"

"In terms of hostility? I can't attest for Russia but I know the Far East can get pretty nasty. Solar storms, weather anomalies and the like." Sakuya shrugged and glanced down at the panting Licca. "You okay?"

"Oh- I'm fine! Just y'know, dying." Licca grinned sarcastically and wiped her damp glove across her forehead to clean the sweat off. "Ma'am, how far are we from this academy you spoke of?"

"Call me Em, Ma'am makes me feel old." Em waved her hand dismissively and glanced down at an illuminated console on her dashboard. "To answer your question, we're about an hour or so off… but the storm is going to delay us."

"We're that close? You made it sound like we were super far away…" Licca scrunched her brows together in suspicion. "How did we get so far?"

"We were- the three of you spent the last half of the day asleep, so don't forget to factor that in." Em smirked at the look of confusion on Licca's face.

"Hm…" Licca narrowed her eyes but dropped the subject. "Fair enough, I suppose." The heat was too much for the mechanic, it wasn't like when she was working. Her two companions seemed completely oblivious to the struggle she had been going through.

"Anyway, mind if I ask you, girls, a couple questions? I'd prefer not to be caught off guard if I'm asked to stay for the meeting." Em watched the two conscious girls in the seat beside her, "Nothing too personal, promise."

Sakuya and Licca shared a contemplative look before they nodded.

"That's fine, what do you want to know?" Sakuya shifted in her seat, careful not to wake Alisa up.

"Ah, just the basics haha." With a chuckle, Em took a minute to think before she began her pseudo-interview. "How old are you girls?"

"I'm 18." Licca answered quickly before she turned to face Sakuya.

"I'm 20, and Alisa just turned 16."

Em eyes the three girls for a time before she loosed a chuckle, "She's barely 16, huh? What're you guys feeding her over there- I'm a little jealous." She turned her eyes back to the sandy path she was following, "I'm 23 myself, in case you wanted to know."

"Hmm." Sakuya and Licca eyed Em curiously, however, neither woman attempted to salvage the conversation.

"..." The leather of the steering wheel groaned as Em tightened her grip on it, an awkward atmosphere having settled over the group. "Look, I'm a stranger that offered you and your teacher a ride out of nowhere. If I were you, I'd be suspicious too so I'm not telling ya to trust me or anything but could ya drop the stares at least? It's distracting…"

"Ah- sorry. It's kind of a habit…" Licca blushed faintly after being called out and shifted her eyes to the dashboard, "Y'know, our homeland being anything _but_ habitable haha…" She laughed awkwardly and gently nudged Sakuya in a silent plea for help.

The older woman sighed and eased up on her stare, "Licca's right. We didn't mean to offend you or anything, it's just trust is a foreign concept to us nowadays." She looked down at the sleeping teen in her lap, "Let's change the topic, yeah? Tell us a little about your group."

"Hmm… where do I begin?" Em bit down on her lip and rolled her shoulders to try and get comfortable. "The guys behind us are very much just lackeys and gophers… my actual team is stationed back in the kingdom. I can't tell you much because, well, circumstances- but I can tell you this much; The well-being of the Kingdom and its people fall onto our shoulders, whether the populace likes it or not. I suppose you could think of us as special forces?" She mused to herself, the low roar of the engine thrummed under her voice. "Yeah- go with that. It's got a nice ring to it."

Sakuya and Licca shared a look as Em grinned to herself, still preoccupied with driving through the storm. "A special forces member huh? Must be quite the experience."

"Sakuya- was it?" Em tilted her head, and the woman in question nodded. "Got it; Sakuya, you're a good actor and all… but don't try to play dumb here. That Grimm you and the kiddo killed back there wasn't just a run of the mill ash puppet, it packs a punch." She leaned to the side and turned the wheel, her head following the motion "I speak from experience, and I know that you're not just a couple of average fighters either. Chances are, you're in a group similar to mine. Am I wrong?" The light reflected off her pupils as she stared at Sakuya from the corner of her eyes.

"You could be- who knows?" Sakuya answered vaguely and returned Em's stare. "You'll find out for sure as soon as you give us your real name."

"You knew?" Em raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise and shrugged. "Fair enough. When I trust you enough to tell you my name- I expect your answer in return."

Both women fell silent and stared across Licca at the other, which prompted the mechanic to sink further down into her seat. ' _Can we please just get there already… it's so tense in here…'_ She pleaded in her mind and squeezed her eyes shut.

The storm refused to weaken and pull back, so the group continued to push ahead at a painfully slow pace. With the actual path obscured by the dense clouds of disturbed sands the group had to rely solely on Em's instincts and memory to get them out of the desert- and away from whatever lurked within it as well.

* * *

 _ **A Resonance Between Worlds**_

* * *

Birds chirped a melodious harmony in the canopy of trees overhead, the lukewarm rays of the sun illuminated the sleeping forest. One individual, in particular, was bathed in the light, their eyes twitched behind the closed lids. Reluctantly, they pulled open and blunk away the remnants of sleep.

The tired cerulean iris' were met with a decrepit and rotted wooden roof, which instilled a feeling of unease in the back of their mind. "Uuhaaa… Nnn." The makeshift cot underneath them creaked as they sat up, a hand moved to rub the grogginess from their eyes. "Where am I…?"

They looked down and stared at the face of their hands, scarred and calloused. A feeling of twisted nostalgia bloomed in their heart as they remembered their home. "Ah, that's right…"

"Captain! You up yet?"

"..." Mithgail's hands folded and unfolded, the strength coursing through only one of his arms. "Yeah- I'm up. What time is it, Soma?" He turned his body and got out of bed, the cold floor pressed flush against his bare feet. His eyes narrowed and he looked down at himself, save for his undershirt and boxers he was by all means naked.

"It's almost noon- how are you feeling?" The nearly unhinged door cried out as Soma pushed it open and stared down at Mithgail. "I found you unconscious in the woods yesterday… not going to lie and say I wasn't concerned."

"Haha, I'm doing fine I guess." Mithgail chuckled and stretched, "Where are my clothes?"

"Drying. Just because we can't get cold doesn't mean you should sleep in the rain- it's just in poor taste." Soma shook his head and jutted his finger out towards a makeshift fire. "At the very least, your pants should be dry."

"I was in the woods huh? Could've sworn I only closed my eyes for a minute." Mithgail mused and clapped Soma on the shoulder. "Thanks though."

"Don't worry about it." Soma stepped out of his Captains way and watched him walk towards the fire. His eyes traced down the back of Mithgail's infected arm and let grimaced. ' _It's gotten worse… but he didn't use his Arc. This really isn't good.'_

The black lines had grown more pronounced than before, wrapping around his arm like blackened steel. "Hey, what did I miss while I was out?" Mithgail spun around, his arm being covered by his back as he shook his pants out.

"Not anything important, I took out a couple Grimm earlier this morning. They kind of reminded of the Borg's back home." Soma stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants and tried to push his concern to the back of his mind.

"Ah- that might've been exciting…" Mithgail frowned as he fixed his pants around his waist "Anyway, I see you took care of the clean up here. How long did it take you?"

"Only a couple hours really, not too bad." Soma wandered over to the fire and leaned against the makeshift pillar he made from broken stones and other material that was laying around. "How about your part? Aside from passing out, how'd everything go? Did ya learn anything?"

"Hm. I did- the nearest village was under oppression by some bandit group and I confronted them." He rolled his shoulder and grabbed his dress shirt, "Turns out they're under the command of some big-wig in what I can only assume to be a crime ring of sorts. I almost got a name, but the guy died before he finished telling me."

"Is that so? Think they're related to the reports around?" Soma tilted his head, the strands of hair falling away from his face.

"Could be, although it'd be a stretch to say they're the cause. After all, these guys were human. Unless they've got some ace up their sleeve, controlling the Grimm would be pretty much impossible." Mithgail mused as he buttoned up his shirt, the sleeves left unbuttoned as to get over his bracelet.

"Who says they have to control them…? What if they were just- y'know… driving them to a single point?" Soma suggested, "We've seen it done with the aragami back home, so it might not be totally impossible."

"Hm, you could be right." Mithgail crossed his arms and stared at the cracked wood scattered on the ground before him. "If that's the case then we need to get a handle on this faster than expected."

"Putting that to the side for now… what else did you learn? You did ask them about the Grimm right?"

"Huh? Ah- yeah. I asked but they said they didn't know anything." Mithgail looked up from the ground and met Soma's eyes.

"What do you mean? Nothing at all?"

"Nope… when I asked they didn't even hesitate to say no. Maybe the rumour hasn't spread that far yet."

"Or it hasn't spread at all." Soma narrowed his eyes and looked around the area.

"What do you mean?" The fabric of Mithgail's shirt rustled as he crossed his arms, "Are you suggesting we were lied to? We just got here, what makes you think that?"

"That town is less ten minutes away by running- for a human." Soma began as he wandered over to his Captain's side. "Think about it- a ' _dangerous'_ new Grimm that decimated this town… yet the next town over doesn't even know it's a problem? Ozpin said there were several complaints, which would mean at least the town fool had caught wind of it. But you said _nobody_ knew."

"..."

"I don't _want_ to suspect Ozpin, so let's give it a couple days… but it's crossed my mind more than a few times."

"Three days, if we still can't pick up even a rumour about the Grimm? We're going home." Mithgail turned away and eyed the tree line of the forest, his curiosity peaked as he took in the ash coloured trees. ' _What's going on in there…?'_

"That's fine with me, I don't want to leave Shio alone any longer than I have to." Soma sighed and kicked at the ground, "..."

"...?" Mithgail raised a brow and gently elbowed his partner, "What's on your mind now?"

"Ozpin threatened to keep Shio here instead of letting her return home with us." The usual monotone of Soma's voice had taken on a more concerned tone, "I know we can fight to get her home…"

"I'm sensing a but."

"What if she doesn't want to come home?" Soma looked up from the ground and turned his gaze to the sky, "What if…" He hesitated, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "What if this is where she feels that she belongs?"

Mithgail remained silent, he might have empathized with his partner however he didn't know what needed to be said. His lips moved as if he did, yet no words spilt out. ' _Soma…'_ He thought to himself and reached out, his hand clapped against the back of Soma's shoulder.

"Forget it, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it." Soma shirked his captain's hand off and shut his eyes. "For now, we need to focus on validating Ozpin's request. Get your weapon, I left it in the room. When you're back, we'll head into the woods and look for any signs of disturbance."

"Sounds fair." Mithgail stepped back and began to wander up to the makeshift base that Soma had prepared for them, he stopped just in front of the splintered door frame. "You know," He started and looked over his shoulder. "You claim to be a monster, and you have ever since we met… yet you've never seemed more human than you do now."

"Hmph." Soma scoffed and shook his head, "Whatever."

 _Black Forest, Haven._

A few hundred feet east of the small village that Mithgail defended was the entrance to a seemingly endless forest. However, there was little green to be found, little colour. It was as if something in the forest was draining all the life from the flora and fauna within its confines.

No Grimm nor animal could be found- in fact, it seemed as if Mithgail and Soma were its only inhabitants. Both men were on high guard, something was off and they knew it.

"I was sceptical at first when you requested we look here." Soma whispered, his eyes shone like orbs in the darkness. "But you were right- this is definitely odd."

"I'm aware." Mithgail muttered and stalked nimbly between the trees. "This doesn't seem supernatural though, it's almost like something syphoned the life out of everything."

Shortly after he retrieved his staff from the base, Mithgail requested that both he and Soma travel into the forest that they now walked through. He claimed that, for an odd reason, he felt put off by its mere presence.

Soma, while caught off guard, assented and complied. Upon stepping over the threshold of the forest, both men felt a sense of death wash over them. However, it wasn't directed towards them- it was more like an aura that the forest itself emitted.

"Hm…" Soma stopped and ran his palm down an ashen tree, the bark crumbled and fell away almost instantaneously. ' _What's this?'_ He turned to face the tree and began to peel away at the dead covering. "Captain, nothings syphoned the life out of the forest…" He drawled as a pile of grey dust amassed around him.

"What are you talking about?" Mithgail made his way over to Soma, driven by curiosity. His cerulean eyes widened as he watched more of the bark fall from the diseased tree. Speckles of red filled his iris before they smouldered out of existence. "They're burning…"

"It seems like it's localized, any idea what would be able to do this?"

"I have a theory…" Mithgail backed away from the tree and wiped his hand off, "Back when that guy died, the bandit."

"What about him?" Soma knelt down and gathered a handful of the ash, "Think he's connected?"

"Well, he didn't just _die._ He combusted, burned to death. When I looked around, I saw what resembled a person run off into the woods by the village." With a slight wince, Mithgail crossed his arms. "They were glowing- as outlandish as this might be, I think whoever I saw killed the man."

"And you think they're the ones that burnt the forest like this?" The ash fell back to the ground as Soma rose to his feet, "It's possible… but-"

"Magic, I know." Mithgail cut in and held his hand out, "Ozpin told me about the whole aura and semblance deal too. From what he said, this seems a bit too fantastical- even for a semblance, it's making fire out of nothing."

"Unless…"

"What?"

Soma bit his lip and grabbed his coat, he pulled it down and held it out in front of him. "What if their semblance isn't making fire. Think about our clothes and our skin. They've been altered by our oracle cells right?"

"Right…?"

"So- what if this individual's semblance is not to _create_ fire, but to _use_ it? Maybe it's like the adjustments we can make to our arcs?" Soma began, his mind raced as he struggled to answer his own theory.

He started to mutter to himself as Mithgail stood and watched, a small smile stretched across his lips as he did. ' _You may hate him… but at least your father gave you something.'_

"Okay, I have an idea of what's going on." Soma shook his head and pulled his coat back on. "We're used to augmentation via Oracle cells. Here, as we've learned, they have dust. Something like this is very possible if flammable dust is paired with a fire-based semblance. It's not magic at all… it just seems like it. The semblance lets them alter their body- or something on it, in order to manipulate the fire that the dust creates."

"Heh, I see. So you were right, they're just _using_ fire, not actually creating it?" Mithgail tilted his head and Soma nodded, "Hm. Sakkaki must love when you visit."

"Love isn't the word I'd use…" Soma chuckled and took a deep breath. "Anyway, let's get back to work."

Mithgail nodded and idly rubbed his throat, "Let's go then. The sooner we _don't_ find this Grimm, the sooner we can go home and yell at Ozpin." He smirked, released his throat and grabbed hold of his staff.

"..." Soma narrowed his eyes and followed after his leader. ' _Is he getting sick? That shouldn't be possible- even if he has oracle poisoning, it should make him_ _ **less**_ _human…'_

He kept his thoughts to himself, for the time being, the relationship between the two of them had only just started to mend after their argument. Pushing it any further might cause irreparable damage. Soma decided that the best course of action now would be just to observe.

* * *

 **A Resonance Between Worlds**

* * *

" _Don't let them hear… Don't let them hear… Don't let them-!"_

The world spun as Alisa sprung up, her eyes wide and watering. "Haah… Haah…" Heavy, uneven breaths escaped her throat as her heart thrummed anxiously in her chest. ' _Guess I fell asleep…'_ She thought to herself as she let her head fall into her hands.

After a while, her heart returned to a steady beat and she lifted her head, "I guess we arrived?" She mused as looked around.

She wasn't sitting in the front seat of the vehicle anymore nor could she hear the tumultuous roar of the sandstorm. As a matter of fact, she had woken up in a rather large bed with a set of soft red blankets draped over her.

There was a chandelier that hung over her head, and it cast down a soft light which illuminated the room around her. From the beige wallpaper to the bureau and closet, even the odd crack could be seen along the ceiling.

The bed creaked under her as she shifted her body to climb out from under the covers, her hair draped over one shoulder. "Ah?" Alisa looked down and pinched the fuzzy fabric of the shirt she wore. ' _I guess somebody_ _changed me? A little creepy…'_

She stood up and wandered away from the bed, cautiously approaching the door in the front of the room. Her hand grabbed the knob and twisted it to pull the door open, the light from outside creeping in. With a slow movement, she tilted her head and peeked through the crack she made. ' _Nobody is in here... maybe I'm alone?'_

Alisa let out a soft sigh and pulled the door open more, wide enough to squeeze through. With one foot forward, she left the room and entered the desolate hallway. Chandeliers that resembled the one in the room behind her were hung from the ceiling down the corridor.

The floor creaked as Alisa stepped forward and out into the open. Her steps were careful and calculated, desperate not to alert whatever may have been nearby of her presence. As she tiptoed down the hall Alisa found herself growing steadily more curious.

Where was Sakuya? Licca? What about Sakaki? None of her companions was by her side when she had woken up, ' _They didn't abandon me, not after everything we've been through…'_ She assured herself, biting down on her lip to distract her thoughts. ' _Maybe they're in another room?'_

With that, the teen began to peek into each of the rooms that she passed by, none of which houses her comrades. Time ticked on and Alisa found herself standing in an empty foyer while struggling to ignore less than pleasant thoughts about her situation.

' _Maybe they-'_

A loud clap echoed around the room as Alisa cradled her stinging cheeks, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she shook her head from side to side. ' _No! I'm not thinking that- if we got separated, it was inevitable. I'm sure we'll meet up soon enough.'_

Alisa let out a heavy sigh and looked around the large foyer, "This place is barren- aside from the presence of money, there's nothing here…" She mused while making note of the quality furnishings that were scattered throughout the room. "Kind Of reminds me of how home felt sometimes…"

A sad smile formed as she reminisced of her time back in Russia. "Hmm… I wonder how they're doing back there?" She tilted her head and wandered over to a large, dusty, window.

It didn't take long for her to get lost in her own thoughts, her smile gradually faded as she retreated into her memories. The faint heat of the setting sun warmed her while she stood, oblivious to the world around her.

" _Now, Now… Don't be so nervous." Cooed a kind woman as she caught a young Alisa in a tight hug. "Your parents will be back soon- they just had some work to attend to."_

" _P-Promise…?" The young Alisa sniffled, her eyes bloodshot and puffy from crying, "They didn't… e-even say goodbye…"_

" _Shh, don't fret Alisa. Your parents would never abandon you..." The woman pulled back and wiped away the tears in Alisa's eyes with the fabric of her dress, "Promise." With a confident smile, she winked at the anxious girl._

" _I-I believe you…" Alisa smiled and tried to calm herself down. "I'm sor-!"_

 _She was caught off guard by the sound of tires against snow, crushing it down. In a daze, Alisa spun around and covered her eyes as she was bathed in the harsh yellow of car headlights._

" _See? Told you they'd be back~" The woman teased and gently pushed Alisa forward._

 _She stumbled slightly but quickly broke into a run as she watched her parents get out of the car, both were silhouetted by the headlights… but she knew it was them. "Momma! Papa! You're home!" She exclaimed and leapt up towards her father, waiting to have him catch her like he always did._

"Alisa."

" _Hahaha, worried that we left you again huh?" The deep hearty laugh came from Alisa's father Vadim, the owner of one of Russia's largest God Eater training facilities. "How many times must we tell you? Not even the devil himself can take you from us!" Vadim scooped Alisa up and held her in the air, "Got it?" He grinned, and without hesitation, Alisa responded._

" _Got it!" Her grin matched her father's, she could hear her mother giggle in the background._

"Alisa!"

"Eh…?" Alisa snapped out of her stupor and turned to face the one that called it to her. "A-Ah… Sakuya. When did you get here?"

"I've been here for a few minutes… why are you crying?" Sakuya grew concerned as she saw the streaks of tears on Alisa's face.

"Oh? It's uh… just the sun haha… I probably stared at it for too long!" Alisa laughed it off and quickly rubbed her eyes dry with her wrists. "Anyway- where are we? Did we get to the city that woman was talking about?"

"Hmm…" Sakuya leaned in and stared into Alisa's eyes, suspicion written clear across her face. "Haah, don't leave me out of the loop too much, 'kay?"

"Ah… S-Sure…" Alisa blushed and hung her head, "Sorry, Sakuya."

"Don't worry about it!" The older woman smiled and stood up straight once more, "To answer your question, Yes. While you were asleep, one of Em's allies made contact with us and helped us drive through the storm. We've been here for a few hours now."

"Em…?" Alisa tilted her head, confused by the appearance of the unfamiliar name.

"Oh- Sorry. That's the name of the woman that drove us here." Sakuya turned away and pointed at the doorway. "She's out in the living room with Sakkaki now. They're working out his temp contract."

"Ah…" Alisa eyed the doorway and quickly turned her attention back to Sakuya. "Where are we?"

"The city- or Kingdom, is Vacuo. As for our exact location, we're in the home Shade Academy's Director."

"I see." Alisa nodded and looked around, "Where is he?"

"Em said that he isn't here right now…" Sakuya frowned and reached out, gently grabbing Alisa's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" Alisa answered and turned her attention back to Sakuya, only to squint, as the glare of the sun caught her eye. "Nnn…" Her eyes adjusted slowly until she could make out Sakuya's form in the light.

"Are you sure? You seem disturbed." Concerned once again, Sakuya held Alisa's shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Maybe you should go back to bed for a bit…"

" _Did you really think we would abandon you again?"_

"...!"

"Alisa…? _What's wrong, miss me?"_ Sakuya began, her voice slowly become distorted to Alisa's ears. " _Stop crying we're here now. Just relax and breath!"_

"Nngh…" Alisa grit her teeth, her head pulsing as she felt herself losing grip on reality. She sucked her lip between her teeth and bit down, drawing blood. She winced as the sharp pain shot through her before she shook her head. ' _I thought I got over this…'_

"Alisa! What are you doing?!" Sakuya snapped and grabbed Alisa's chin. "My god… look what you've done to yourself."

"Relax Sakuya, I just bit my lip. I do it all the time." Alisa tried to dismiss Sakuya's outburst and moved her hand away. "It's not like I-" Her eyes widened as she saw the red on Sakuya's palm, and on the back of her own hand as well.

"Not like you _what?_ Tried to chew your lip off?" Sakuya hissed and grabbed Alisa by the wrist. She dragged her across the room and into a small bathroom a few feet away. Droplets of blood stained the carpet beneath them leaving a trail as they went.

Once they were in the bathroom, Sakuya grabbed a handful of tissue and began to wipe away the blood from Alisa's lips. The teen winced with every dab of soft fabric, but Sakuya eventually stopped.

Alisa could feel her body kick into overdrive, the wounds on her lip quickly healing. "I-I'm sorry… again." She frowned and looked at herself in the mirror. ' _I'm a mess today… what's going on with me?'_

"Don't be sorry… just talk to me. What's going on with you?" Sakuya sighed, "You don't have to hide anything from me… you're like my little sister. Can't you be honest with me?"

"I can… it's just… Haah." Alisa rubbed her arm and forced a smile. "I was just remembering the last night I spent with my parents- before they were killed… I guess I wasn't ready for it quite yet haha." She giggled nervously trying to lighten the atmosphere.

' _Alisa…'_ Sakuya sighed in her head before she smiled, "Y'know! You're not supposed to look for the deepest waters to learn how to swim right? You have to _wade_ in, not go head first."

"Eh?" Alisa flinched as Sakuya stop abruptly.

"Come on, let's go bully the doctor as he tries not to be awkward." Sakuya grabbed Alisa's hand and squeezed it, "Sound good?"

"Y-Yeah sounds good." Alisa let herself be dragged away once again, the taste of iron still fresh in her mouth. ' _Thanks, Sakuya.'_ She smiles to herself, watching the back of her sister-figure with no small amount of appreciation.

 _Headmasters Office, Shade._

"I don't understand why you're making this so difficult for us." Em sighed and leaned forward on her knees. Behind her sat two others that introduced themselves as Otte and Syv shortly after they helped lead Em and the others out of the desert. "It's a simple question- where did you go to school."

"I don't understand why you're making this so hard for yourself either." Sakkaki shrugged and looked around, "You're the one that asked me to work here, now you're saying I'm suspicious for not telling you where I graduated? Hm."

"..." Em clenched her teeth and loosed a shaky breath as she refrained from snapping at the doctor. "That's not-"

"As a matter of fact, the suspicious ones here are you three." Sakkaki scratched his chin, "I mean; We came here with the intention of meeting the headmaster, that was the deal. However, upon arrival, we're informed that the headmaster is not present _nor_ is his location known. For all we know, you plan to kill us when we let our guard down and use us as an example for your clearly rambunctious citizens."

"Damn…" Syv whispered in the background, her eyes glued to her comrades shaking back. "Where'd she find this nut job?"

"Wandering around the desert. She said that he introduced himself like she was some sort of alien to him." Otte hummed and hoisted herself up on a dresser in the corner of the room. "I give him… ten minutes before she takes a stab at him."

"That's generous…" Syv tilted her head and shifted her focus from Em over to Otte. "What make- The hell are you doing?"

"Uhh… listening?" Otte raised a brow, "What did you think I was doing? Geez…"

"No, I mean why are you sitting up there? Do you have any clue what's in that?" Syv hissed and pulled Otte down from the dresser.

"Lemme guess~" With a finger to her chin, Otte pursed her lips for a second before smiling. "A bunch of dust, the headmaster's personal files, and the latest volume of ' _Beautiful Busts',_ still wrapped up."

"Smartass…" Syv clicked her tongue against her teeth, "Using your semblance makes it even worse. You know I wasn't being literal."

"Oh? You weren't?" Otte shrugged and turned away, "Sorry then, thought ya really wanted to know~ Hm?" Her grin fell away as the door to the office opened, revealing Sakuya and Alisa. "Oh, the little ones awake!"

"I don't know how you've lived this long…" Syv hung her head and turned to greet the newcomers.

"It's called breathing~" Otte winked as she sauntered past her partner and approached the still dazed Alisa, "Heya Kiddo, sleep well? You were looking pretty pale for a while there!" She smiled and set her hand down on Alisa's shoulder.

"I…" Alisa flinched at the sudden greeting but quickly corrected herself. "Ahem. Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I apologize if I scared you at all."

"Haha, no need to play tough. I heard you mutterin' for your Momma all the way back from the wastes." Otte teased and released Alisa's shoulder. "Glad to hear it though! I'm happy you're feeling better. I'm Otte by the way, that's totally a codename but it's all I'm allowed to give ya. Nice to meet you!"

"A-Ahaha… no worries?" Alisa smiled awkwardly and took a deep breath. "I'm Alisa, it's a pleasure." She stretched her hand out and grabbed a hold of Otte's. ' _I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to tell people it's a code name…'_ She thought to herself and lowered her hand. "Thank you for helping us get back, Sakuya told me what happened."

"Ah, don't worry about it! I had to help out a friend in need, it's just who I am." With a kind smile, Otte clapped Alisa's cheek and leaned down. "Ignore Syv over there, she's always grumpy as hell. Stick with Em and me, and you'll be totally fine."

"I'll uh, keep that in mind." Alisa chuckled and backed away, "Nice meeting you… Otte."

"Mmhm!" Otte waved at the retreating Alisa as she made her way over to the flustered Sakaki. "She's cute, dontcha think Syv~y?" She cooed and leaned back into her partner, "Wanna try and get her into the academy?"

"Bite me." Syv stepped to the side and let Otte fall back, having lost her support, "Em, we're going to do a sweep. Call us if you need anything whatsoever- we'll come running."

"We're not finished four-eyes," Em growled and looked back at Syv, "That's Fine. Don't draw too much attention."

"Got it." Syv stretched and pulled Otte up, "We're off, let's go."

"Already?! But we _just_ got here! We never get to visit like the others!" Otte whined as she was dragged out of the room, much to her chagrin.

The occupants of the room heard the ensuing argument as the pair walked down the hall and out of the foyer- their exit was accentuated by the exaggerated slamming of the front door.

"As I was saying, we had no idea that the headmaster was going to be absent. Besides- I only said it was a _potential_ interview. I never promised you'd get to actually meet him." Em quickly returned to the previous argument without missing a beat, "Welcome girls, just take a seat anywhere. I'm going to introduce you two to somebody soon, once I'm done with the jerk."

"I prefer intellectual, not jerk." Sakkaki crossed his arms and sighed. "Look- I attended a small college in the Far East, seeing how you didn't even know that the Far East itself even _existed,_ I highly doubt you'd know of a tiny, run-down college in the backwoods there."

"Even so…"

"Further, we've wasted twenty minutes such a petty topic. Do you know how much we could have done in that time? That's 1,200 seconds- and counting." Sakkaki frowned, "So put the schooling down as Not Applicable and move on, we both have better things we could be doing with our time."

"..." Em ground her teeth together before she scribbled _N/A,_ on the dotted line. "Fine! Whatever- I've never met somebody as obnoxious as you are. Ask a simple question, then get yelled at. Makes perfect sense." Once she was done grumbling to herself, Em stood with an exaggerated stretch and strode across the room. "Licca already heard about this guy, she wasn't super interested so she wandered off to the armoury earlier- but I think you two will have more interest in him."

"What about me?" Sakkaki cut in, smiling like an idiot- well, with his own smirky kind of smile that is.

"You don't fight- but I won't stop you if you really want to see." Em rolled her eyes and pushed the chair out from behind the headmaster's desk, the wheels clicking against the hardwood like a metronome. "Either way, just stand there for me. I'll introduce you guys once they pick up."

"Ah- Sure?" Sakuya nodded and stood alongside Alisa and Sakaki. She stole a few not-so-subtle glances at the younger girl, after a bit of self-deliberation she spoke. "I know those girls seem a bit off, but they're really rather nice. Once you get past their aggression. I don't think they get along very well."

"I see… the first one was so in my face, I couldn't even respond properly…" Alisa chuckled awkwardly and scratched her chin, trying to hide her expression. "They didn't seem like bad people though, so I wasn't worried."

"Hah, that's good then." Sakuya smiled down and bumped her shoulder into Alisa's. "Your clothes are in my room, by the way, I didn't want to leave them unattended."

"Ah! Thank you, I completely forgot about them!" Alisa exclaimed, her eyes flicked wide open in surprise. "When I woke up like this, I was a little creeped out. I'm relieved to hear it was you that changed me at the very least."

"Don't worry about it, I figured letting anybody else do it was a bit inappropriate." Sakuya shrugged and pulled Alisa close, "How are you doing? From earlier I mean."

Alisa's smile faltered briefly, a frown darkening her face before she recovered and shook her head. "Still shaken up, but I'll be fine. I think I'm just homesick haha."

"If you say so~" Sakuya drawled, the words rolled off her tongue dripped with suspicion. "Anyway, let's see who we're about to meet."

"Yeah… let's." Alisa nodded and stepped forward slightly, "Uh, Em, If I may ask; How do you know this person? Are they an ally or something?"

Em ignored Alisa initially, her eyes flickered with every click on the screen. The images and names she saw reflected in her pupils briefly as they scanned the page, "I wouldn't call him an _ally,_ by any means. However, we are coworkers of sorts, in the same field of work. He's got a few years on me, so I usually direct new faces to him… so long as they have potential."

"I assume you think that we have potential?" Sakuya joined the conversation smoothly as she walked up to stand alongside Alisa.

"I don't think it, I know it." Em leaned back in the leather chair she had sat down in, "I wanted I introduce the mechanic to him, but she wasn't interested- as I said earlier. Somebody like her could be useful on the field."

"And what about me?" Sakkaki stood up from his seat and peered around Sakuya, "Am I not brimming with _potential?"_

"People like you are safer behind the lines." Em shrugged, "You excel in the book stuff- which I'm more than grateful for… but battle potential? You've got about as much as a wet mop on a cold day."

"Harsh…" Sakkaki deflated slightly before he bounced back into his usually hyperactive-self almost immediately after, "You're not totally wrong though. Especially in comparison to these two."

"Exactly- now just stand there and please be quiet. You can talk if he's free." Em stared at Sakkaki before she ran her eyes across Alisa and Sakuya. "Good? Good."

She nodded and selected one of the displayed names, the sound of ringing echoed around the small room like the chiming of a bell. It continued on for a few long seconds, all occupants of the room standing and sitting patiently, waiting for the other party to answer the call. After a little while longer the ringing came to an abrupt end and the monitor went dark, briefly, before a man's face appeared on the screen.

" _What is it. I thought I told you not to contact me unless it's important."_ The voice echoed around, clearly agitated, or tired- one of the two. " _So What is it?"_

"Well, I found a couple of people out near the kingdom's border earlier today, _most_ of them seem pretty useful. Ones rather useless outside of the academic field, but the other three are fair competent." Em began, seemingly unperturbed by the unknown persons crass greeting. "I was thinking I let you talk to 'em before I let them loose in the city. Wanna?"

" _..."_ The other person sighed heavily and answered impatiently, " _Sure- but just know your timing is utter shit. I doubt you could have called at a worse time…"_

"It's always a pleasure talking with you~" Em smiled sarcastically, her words dripping with venom-like hostility. She grabbed the sides of the monitor and spun it around, "Girl's and Doctor, meet the legendary prick- Qrow Branwen."

 _Headmasters Armoury, Shade._

While Em introduced Qrow to Alisa and Co, Licca found herself wandering around on the other end of the building. After she parted ways with Em, her feet led her through the depressingly ornate halls, subconsciously turning and twisting down the odd corner. Eventually, she found herself in the large and well-stocked armoury.

Licca's eyes flicked from weapon to weapon, display to display, elated that despite being in a whole new world she still found her happy place. From the doorway, she quickly scanned the room and let out a relieved sigh at the lack of surveillance. ' _Kinda stupid to have an unguarded armoury… Ah?'_ She was distracted from her thoughts by the sight of an old, technological friend of hers.

"Ooo~!" She cooed and strode across the concrete laden room, her eyes glued to a large console in the far side of the room. "Come to Momma!"

Like a child with a toy, she began to tinker with the console- managing to both turn it on and bypass the primary log in screen in less than a minute. ' _This is why you set passwords people~'_ The mechanic mused to herself as the monitor flickered to the home screen.

With no small degree of caution, Licca started to peruse the surface files. Her heart thrummed with excitement as she eyed the seemingly endless throng of weapon profiles, each one documented well and thoroughly.

As she flicked through the folders, Licca found what looked to be classified documents, hidden within some of the files. ' _Hmm?'_ The cursor hovered over the icon as she looked behind her, with a nod for self-assurance she opened it.

"Let's see what we've got here~" She whispered and slowly scrolled through the pages. "Uprise driven by revolution, lack of foreign aid leading to infrastructure collapse, failure to maintain multiple treatises …is all this for Vacuo?" Licca frowned and shut the file, opening another one.

" _By the order of General Ironwood, Shade Academy is to be put under military supervision until further notice. With recent news of the espionage charges laid on the former headmaster- all students and staff are suspect_." Licca muttered as her eyes flicked from side to side on the page. Her scrolling quickened with every line, up until she froze. Her eyes widened as the last page loaded up on screen. " _Human And Faunus trials to move into alpha stage within the year. Subjects have been procured from each of the four kingdoms for best possible outcomes…"_

"What the…? Huh?!" The sound of a slammed door made Licca jump. She quickly turned off the console monitor and took cover behind it, her back pressed flush against it. The door to the room creaked as it was opened, however, no footsteps led into the room- only away from it. ' _I've gotta store this all for later… we'll need some kind of leverage in case things go wrong._ ' She thought to herself as she peered around the edge of the console. Upon confirming the lack of unwanted company, she stepped into the open and rushed around to the front.

Licca fumbled slightly as she pulled a portable USB stick out from around her neck, and nimbly inserted it into the face of the console. ' _Now this, and this… can't forget these…'_ Her fingers stroked the keys in a frantic manner as she dragged any important looking files onto her USB. ' _God, why am I even doing this?! It's not my business… it's not even my world!'_ She chastised herself as the files finished their transfer.

With a swift ejection, she spun on her heel and rushed for the door. ' _UGH! I saw something and I got curious… now I'm a fugitive-to-be!'_ Licca fretted as she stepped into the hallway and began to retrace her steps back to the foyer- loosely. ' _You were right Ma', curiosity is a bitch…'_ She bit into her lip as her hand desperately clenched around the USB- and possibly, her life.

' _Don't act suspiciously. Just be cool, and normal, and don't hyperventilate and breathe an- shit! I'm being super suspicious aren't I?!'_ Licca felt the world around her spin as she hurried down the barren halls, a thin layer of sweat had formed on her face. ' _Forget the 007 stuff… what was on that last page? Experiments? What's been going on here!'_

Her mind flickered back to the time they learned the old Director betrayed them, and how he had just been using them to collect materials for his godforsaken final plan. ' _Could this be the same deal? Just… with these 'Grimm' instead of it Aragami? Or is this being done_ to _the people?'_ The latter turned her stomach, what kind of monster kidnapped and experimented on people? What kind of twisted mind could do that?!

Licca squeezed her eyes shut and shuffled over to the wall where she braced it with her arm, letting her head lull forward. As she cracked her eyes open, she stared sickeningly at the floor underfoot. She shifted her free hand in front of her face and unclenched her fist, the USB filled her vision as her mind raced. Did she really want to read any further? Was it worth the risk?

"Licca? Are you okay?"

"AH! E-Em? H-Hey! What's up?" Oblivious to her surroundings, Licca let out a frightened yell. Her heart jumped into her throat as she spun around, eyes wide and pupils large. "I Uh, didn't see you there!"

"..." Em narrowed her eyes and sighed, "Evidently not… you doing alright? It looks like you're about to have a stroke."

"Yeah~ I'm fine! Totally fine, just a bit on edge… a new world and all." Licca waved her hand dismissively before she felt her heart shrink.

"World…?"

"Y-Yeah, haha… this kingdom is like a whole new world to me, you know? Not like… an _actual_ new world or anything… that'd be impossible haha…" Licca stammered and sputtered, all the while she wished she could just get her foot out of her mouth and shut up.

Em, on the other hand, seemed amused, "Fair enough, I can at least relate to you there." She chuckled and pat Licca on the shoulder. "Listen, Alisa woke up. She's kind of out of it, maybe you should go see her?"

"Oh? I'll go do that then…" Licca smiled and bowed her head slightly. She heard Em say farewell before she continued on down the hallway. Licca waited for a minute before she sighed and walked in the opposite direction of Em. ' _This is why I never leave the maintenance room back home… I'm horrible with people…'_ Slightly depressed, Licca began to come down from her adrenaline high. ' _I'll talk to Sakkaki about this- he should know what to do…'_

With a plan in mind, she set her mind to finding the office she had been in less than an hour earlier.

 _Headmasters Office, Shade. (Five minutes earlier)_

"So… you're not in Vacuo?" Sakkaki had pulled one of the chairs away from the coffee table closer to the desk that the monitor was on. Alisa and Sakuya stood on either side of him, both patiently watched the screen while they listened to the two men talk.

" _No. As much as I_ love _boiling temperatures and borderline anarchy, I have too much to handle over here in Vale._ " Qrow sighed from his end of the call, " _As I mentioned earlier- we discovered something rather annoying lurking around outside the walls earlier, so it's a pretty bad time to call. Not that you chose to though, so don't worry."_

"Oh? Is it Grimm?" Sakkaki tilted his head and leaned forward, his sleeves splayed out on the seats as he did so. He watched Qrow hesitate, struggling to come up with a proper answer… but he didn't give the man a chance to lie. "Something else then."

" _Wha…?"_ Qrow's eyes widened on the other end of the screen and he bit his lip to silence any further outbursts. " _I hadn't even said no."_

"That may be so, but you didn't say _yes_ either." Sakaki smiled and glanced at the girls behind him, "I'm a teacher, Mr Branwen, it's my job to know when somebody is about to lie."

" _..."_ Qrow drew a soft breath and shook his head. The camera went out of focus as he stood up and wandered off with it. " _Em wasn't polite enough to introduce you three to me. How about we do that now?"_ In an effort to redirect the topic of conversation, Qrow smiled weakly down at the camera before he opened a door. " _And don't worry- we're in a private room right now so nothing will be leaked."_

Sakkaki sat up straight and analyzed the monitor before him. ' _Is he in a tower of some sort? That looks like clockwork…'_ With a seemingly oblivious shrug, the doctor agreed to introductions. "As you wish, it's more effective if I do this myself. The woman to my right is Sakuya Tachibana, and the one to my left is Alisa Amiella- they're both students of mine."

"H-Hi…" Alisa raised her hand in an awkward greeting, she wasn't usually shy however she hadn't been introduced in a long while.

"Hey! We have a third member but she Ah- kinda left the room earlier. Her names Licca, you might meet her someday!" Sakuya smiled and raised her hand in greeting as well.

"And I am none other than Doctor Paylor Sakaki, researcher extraordina- Agh! M-Ms Tachibana, please refrain from hitting me!" Sakaki cradled the back of his head, Sakuya's free hand lowered in tandem.

On the other side of the screen, Qrow felt his heart freeze. " _Impossible…"_ He whispered before he quickly pieced his thoughts together and made his voice known once more. " _Em. I'm going to do that_ thing _, mind taking a walk?"_

"Ah? Tch." Em clicked her tongue from behind the monitor and hopped up, "I'm not leaving because ya told me to. Now that I think about it… I should probably check on Licca, she's been on her own for a while." Having managed to find an excuse to leave, Em complied with Qrow's request and left the room- shutting the door with a less than gentle click.

Qrow waited for a few moments before continuing, " _Those bracelets- what are they?"_

"They're just bracelets- what is this _thing_ that you're going to do?" Sakuya spoke up before her comrades had the chance to answer- a mixture of nerves and thinly veiled hostility plagued her usually gentle and playful voice.

" _Don't lie- what are they_?" Qrow pressed on, purposely dodging Sakuya's question.

"I said-!"

"He isn't doing anything nor does he plan to. He saw something that interests him, and didn't want Em to overhear it, so he made up an excuse." Sakaki held his hand out in front of Sakuya to placate her. "Just relax and let me talk to him- it's only natural that your guardian handles anything like this." He flashed an oddly confident smile and nodded as Sakuya pulled back, albeit with the reluctance of a scorned cat. "Thank you…"

"Whatever." Sakuya sighed and crossed her arms, "I should apologize. There's just a lot going on right now- I'm a little touchy."

" _It's fine."_ Qrow brushed off the apology and set his eyes on Sakaki, " _So? About the bracelets Doctor."_

"A lie? How harsh, Mr Branwen! For you to accuse me of lying to you." Sakaki put his hand to his chest and frowned, "I assume you've seen them before then?" The doctor could almost hear both girls bristle behind him.

" _Not at all, they just don't look natural. Therefore, being_ nothing _is impossible. Are they trackers? Beacons? What."_

"Nothing _is_ impossible, that much is true…" Sakaki nodded and tapped his chin. "Tell me, Mr Branwen. Do you know what a _lie_ is?"

" _Of course I know what a lie is- do I look like an idiot?"_ Qrow snapped his answer back, between the events in the forest and this stranger- his already thin patience was wearing out.

"Right now? You do come across as rather idiotic yes." Sakaki shut his eyes and laughed softly, "In order for a _lie_ to be proclaimed as such, the one who claims untruth must be aware of the reality. Meaning- in order for you to say I was lying, you would have to know or at least have some proof suggesting that I, had indeed, lied."

" _Excuse me? Just because I don't believe you- I'm the liar now? My opinion means nothing?!"_

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Mr Branwen. You've done enough of that already." Sakaki's eyes opened slightly- just enough for him to stare out. Through his now slitted eyelids Sakaki continued, "If you wanted to accuse me of lies based off of an ' _opinion',_ you would have said something to the effect of: 'That has to be a lie…!', or even 'That can't be true…'. However, you said neither- nor did you say something similar. You simply declared it as a lie. Which means that you knew otherwise."

" _..."_ Qrow glared through the screen at the doctor, thankful that he moved rooms- lest he drew unwanted attention. " _Listen to me-"_

"No- I won't _listen_ to you. Why? Because I detest lies, and right now the only one that has lied- is you, Qrow Branwen." Sakaki crossed his arms and turned his head in an almost pouting manner- like he was mimicking a child. "I'll listen once you start being honest with me."

" _If I do- will you stop being such a prick?"_ Qrow snapped and Sakaki huffed but nodded. " _For the love of- Fine. The reason I ask is that there are a few people over here in Vale that have matching bracelets. Considering the_ nature _of the individuals and what we've seen of them, it's fair to say that claiming the bracelets are_ nothing _too much."_

"Hm… I-?" Sakaki stopped himself mid-sentence and looked over his shoulder. "Alisa…"

"M-Mr Branwen… right?" The teen stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists by her waist.

Qrow watched Alisa step in front of the Doctor and he sighed. Her obvious anxiety sliced through the tense atmosphere that he and Sakaki had created, like butter. Something about her calmed him- much like Ruby and Yang did, to that end he turned his full attention on her. "Yeah- you're Alisa right, kiddo?"

"How did you…? No- that's not important."

Alisa shook her head and tried to calm herself, ' _He thinks I'm a student… that would be a stupid question.'_ She cleared her throat and exhaled, her heart thrummed rapidly in her chest, "Those people you just mentioned… how many are there?"

" _The ones' with the bracelets? Two."_

"...!" Even Sakuya felt a nervous excitement build up in her stomach now. She subconsciously bit her tongue to try and ignore the feeling of hope that was quickly rising within her.

"Two? Are they… guys?" Alisa asked softly, her voice on the verge of snapping into a sob, "One with greyish-white hair?"

" _Oh? Is the Captain your favourite?"_ Qrow grinned, " _I'm not gonna lie- I can see where you're coming from. He isn't that bad looking- neither is that Vice-Captain of his. Gotta give credit where it's due. Although, I get the feeling he doesn't really like our headmaster… not that I can blame h- eh? W-Why are you crying?!"_ In a mixture of shock and concern, Qrow dropped the topic and immediately tried to console the suddenly distraught teen. " _Oi! Nerd- Why is the kid crying?!"_

Sakaki sighed as Alisa's knees found the floor, her hands gripped her arms as she sobbed. "Ms Tachibana- can you take her back to the room?" He glanced at Sakuya, who had already begun to help Alisa back to her feet.

"Y-Yeah… don't worry about it. I'll come back when she calms down." With Alisa held close, Sakuya clenched her teeth and carefully walked the teen out of the room- her eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall.

"Alright." Sakaki nodded as Sakuya and Alisa left the room. Silence fell upon the room once again, neither man attempting to revive the conversation. After a few moments, Sakaki answered Qrow, "She feels rather strongly for the Captain… but both of those boys are almost family to us- more students of mine, you see. We thought they had met a rather- untimely end since we lost contact with them a long while back."

" _Well- apologize to her for me. I hate making kids cry… Anyway, they've been with us a while. Our headmaster just gave them some work, so they won't be back for some time."_ Qrow sighed and scratched his chin, " _I can't give you an exact date that they'll be back- but I can try and contact you if you want."_

"I don't have any communication device that you can reach though. That would be a great plan otherwise."

" _Top drawer on the left-hand side of the desk- the headmaster always keeps an extra scroll in there. Don't let Em know you took it- she'll ask too many questions."_ Qrow looked around and hung his head, " _Look, I've gotta go. Keep this between us for now: Vacuo is not safe. If you can get out of the kingdom, leave. Don't stay any longer than you have to."_

"Hm." Sakaki nodded and stood up as the monitor went dark. "What could he be talking about?" He mused to himself while he strode around the desk and found the aforementioned drawer. Carefully yet quickly, he pulled it open and rummaged through it. ' _I probably should have asked what this "scroll" looks like…'_

A frown spread across his lips before a bright light filled his vision. He grabbed hold of the shining object and pulled it out after he flipped it over in his hand he found himself staring down at a message.

"You lied too…?" Sakaki squinted and stuffed the item in his pocket. ' _Guess that's Mr Branwen… and this must be the scroll. I'll figure out how to use it later. For now- I should go check on Alisa.'_

He eyed the door at the back of the room and felt Qrow's parting words float to the front of his mind once again. ' _Once she calms down- I'll get the three of them and we'll leave. I knew there was something wrong- this was too perfect of a situation.'_

With a few quick steps, he grabbed the handle of the door and left the room- his mind raced to devise a way to escape both the manor _and_ the kingdom with as little conflict as possible.

* * *

 _ **Hope you all enjoyed! See ya next time! (Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or earth-shattering conversation starters.)**_


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